Is Your Child Afraid to Sleep?
>> Apr 20, 2010
Dear parents, is your child facing problems to sleep? It can make you dizzy, right? Don’t worry, this time I’ll share the ways to handle your child’s problems. In her article, Teri Cettina wrote about seven problems that can occur to your child while going to bed. Hope it can give you more useful knowledge. Here they are:1.Problem: Your child gets up repeatedly after you've put her/him to bed, calling, “Mom/Dad, I need a glass of water.”
Why it happens: Kids make bedtime curtain calls for many reasons. Preschoolers may be asserting their independence: “You can't make me stay in bed!” Or they stall because they're afraid of the dark. The most common reason, though, is that you've slipped from a consistent routine you had when they were babies.
How to rest easy: Before-bed routines are important for children of all ages, says Lynn D'Andrea, M.D., director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, in Wauwatosa.
The evening ritual could be as simple as reading your child a story and wishing him a good night. Another tool is a bedtime pass, a card your child can turn in for one nighttime request. Preschoolers also benefit from rewards (like extra playground time) for staying put.
2. Problem: Your child is scared―of the monsters or even a house fire.
Why it happens: As kids wind down, it's normal for anxieties to surface. Your preschooler is easy to worry about what lurks in the shadows, while an older child may have relatively realistic fears―of robbers, for instance.
Why it happens: As kids wind down, it's normal for anxieties to surface. Your preschooler is easy to worry about what lurks in the shadows, while an older child may have relatively realistic fears―of robbers, for instance.
How to rest easy: A night-light to chase away dark and a few squirts of anti-monster spray (tap water in a specially marked bottle) are often enough to settle down a young one. Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., an associate director of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Sleep Center, said that imaginary fears can be handled well by imaginary solutions.
If an older child is a worrier, ban scary movies and books at night. If he/she worries about intruders or natural disasters, chat with him/her about these issues well before bedtime. For example, you can ask, “What would you do if we had a fire?” Having an escape plan for an emergency could also help your child relax.
3. Problem: Your child can’t fall asleep, and then it takes a marching band to wake him/her up in the morning (hahaha).
Why it happens: Kids can have insomnia for any number of reasons, from drinking caffeinated drinks at night to schoolwork anxiety.
How to rest easy: Revisit the basics. Make sure your child has a bedtime routine. If you notice that he/she can’t fall asleep until late (say, after midnight) and sleeps in when allowed to sleep on his/her own schedule, he/she may have delayed sleep-phase syndrome, which is more common in teens (stated by Judith Owens, M.D., director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic).
This can be tough on both your child and family members who are on more traditional schedules, so ask your doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist. Professionals can help shift your child’s sleep time closer to normal.
Other tips:
3. Problem: Your child can’t fall asleep, and then it takes a marching band to wake him/her up in the morning (hahaha).
Why it happens: Kids can have insomnia for any number of reasons, from drinking caffeinated drinks at night to schoolwork anxiety.
How to rest easy: Revisit the basics. Make sure your child has a bedtime routine. If you notice that he/she can’t fall asleep until late (say, after midnight) and sleeps in when allowed to sleep on his/her own schedule, he/she may have delayed sleep-phase syndrome, which is more common in teens (stated by Judith Owens, M.D., director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic).
This can be tough on both your child and family members who are on more traditional schedules, so ask your doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist. Professionals can help shift your child’s sleep time closer to normal.
Other tips:
- Have your child avoid screen time (like the TV and the computer) for at least half an hour before bed.
- Turn down the lights to help his/her body prepare for sleep. Come morning, open the drapes and turn on the lights.
- Make sure he/she gets up at a consistent time (although an hour later on weekends is OK) so your child will be tired at the same time each night.
I still have four other problems. I’ll mention it in my next post. See you…
Source :google 
