Bedtime Battles: Stubborn and Spoiled or Is There a Sleep Problem?

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Children of all ages can experience insomnia too; it is not just partial to adults.

Why won’t my child sleep??

Often when children experience insomnia it can be for some of the very same reasons that adults experience it, a change in schedule as maybe they are going back to school after summer vacation, too much sugar or caffeine, family or school related stress, or a lack of routine. A lack of routine is usually a result of parents not establishing a regular routine and defining a specific bedtime.

While insomnia is a condition and not a disease, it can have a detrimental effect on children as they are tired and grumpy during the day, often hard for teachers to manage, and this can lead to behavior problems too. If this is something that happens every night then it could be the temperament of the child could be the primary reason. If children know that they can get away with it, they will fight sleep for hours to prove a point.

Is it also ADHD?

However, if your child has insomnia that is accompanied with nervousness, irritability, intensity, high strung, excitable, and easily angered, then it might be that your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). There is a direct relationship between ADHD and insomnia in children. Monitor your child and see if they are extremely difficult to wake in the morning and whether it is nearly impossible to turn off their motor at night as this too is associated with ADHD.

Children who have insomnia may actually display signs that are very similar to that of ADHD because they are lacking sleep and their systems are out of whack. Children are really supposed to get 9-11 hours of sleep per night, although studies have displayed that this is rarely the case. Parents need to remember that children who are exhausted can actually still appear to have a lot of energy, but what that really is, is their body’s way of dealing with the tiredness.

In the meantime, they will become ornery and misbehaved which is how they are coping with their lack of sleep. Additionally, you certainly cannot expect a good performance academically.

Sleep is crucial for children

Did you know that sleep is one of the most important factors in a child’s development? This is because during sleep is when their body produces more of the hormones that causes a child to grow. Children between the ages of one and five require 10-12 hours of sleep per night and school age children require about 10 hours of sleep per night.

Tips to help get your child to bed:

1) Do not feed your child large meals close to bedtime, and don’t give her anything containing caffeine less than six hours before bed.

2) Do not turn on any lights and speak to the child in a very soft voice

3) Avoid all activities which may be stimulating after dinner time

4) Either warn your child that bedtime is in 5 minutes, or, give him a choice “Would you like to go to bed now or in 5 minutes” – but only do this one time.

5) Establish a very consistent bedtime time and routine.

6) Make sure your child’s nighttime clothing, bed and room temperature are comfortable.

7) If your child experiences bedtime fears or worries, give him tools to help such as a flashlight, a spray bottle of water or ‘monster spray’, or a large stuffed animal as a protector.

8) Reward your child for going to bed easily and on time. Each time he goes to bed without fuss and stays there, he gets a gold star. After three stars, it’s off to get ice cream or another of his favorite treats.

Other natural ways of helping child sleep problems

Natural remedies can also be a big help in combating child insomnia. Serenite Jr. is a natural, safe, effective specially formulated herbal remedy for child and baby insomnia and sleep disorders. Being natural, with no artificial preservatives, Serenite Jr. is safe for children and babies, is non-addictive and has NO SIDE EFFECTS.

As-needed use of Serenite Jr. will relax and calm your child; promote peaceful sleep; assist with sleep problems caused by teething. Formulated by a clinical psychologist, Serenite Jr. is pharmaceutically manufactured to the highest standards.

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