Warning: Your Child May Be Acting Out Because They're Actually Sleep Deprived
>> Jun 25, 2018
If your child is neither as well-behaved
nor doing as well at school as before, it's not going to help if you
double-down on them to improve their attitude--because your child may be doing
the best they can but feel stuck.
In some cases, the issue may be something
that neither you nor your child suspects: they may not be getting enough good
quality sleep at nights. If your child doesn't get a good night's sleep every
night, then this is going to affect their current behavior, academic
performance, and future development.
Often the remedy to improving sleep quality
may be something as simple as replacing an uncomfortable mattress—one that's
too hard, too soft, or too lumpy. If you think that this might be the case,
then visit a bedding
store located nearby. There, professional staff will help your child choose
the perfect mattress for their sleeping preference so that they can get the
comfort they need to sleep well at night.
Some other reasons why your child may not
be getting enough sleep include electronic overstimulation, a poor diet, or
high anxiety.
 |
| image:www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-game-pads-1174746 |
Bright Screens
Almost all kids
love entertainment. One common reason why children don't sleep well is that
they are not going to bed at a regular time and are staying up doing something
stimulating, like watching TV, playing online video games, or texting their
friends.
If this is what's going on, it's just a
question of breaking these habits. Usually, turn off all devices with bright
screens an hour before bed. The reason bright electronic screens induce
insomnia is that they adversely inhibit the sleep hormone, melatonin.
Essentially, the brain is tricked into believing that it's still daytime.
Poor Dietary Choices
At other times, though, the cause may be
subtler. They may be going to bed at a reasonable hour but not sleep well at
night. This over-alertness may be due to foods rich in chocolate or beverages
high in caffeine. These can keep the mind alert and the body energized, making
it particularly difficult to drop off to sleep. Other foods that prevent
sleepiness are ice cream, pizza, pasta, cereals, and candy bars.
Replace stimulating foods, with foods that
promote a good night's sleep. These include bananas, almonds, oats, honey,
turkey, and cheese. Usually, the most soporific foods for sleep are rich in
magnesium.
High Anxiety
Many adults with young children are
surprised to learn that children, too, experience anxiety. While they may not
have to worry about how to cope with an awful boss, feeling underpaid and
underappreciated at work, or how to earn enough money to pay the bills,
children worry about all sorts of things—guilt over not doing their homework,
struggle with school, poor performance at sports, conflicts with other
children, dread of the teacher, and so on.
Psychologists classify this type of anxiety
as Generalized
Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Like adults, children have many recurring fears and
worry a great deal about many things in their environment that they can't
control.
If your child is anxious, they spend most
of the day concerned about things that may seem trivial to you, often spending
most of the days of the week fretting, and even worrying about things for weeks
on end. Typical symptoms of anxiety are irritability, difficulty in
concentrating, feelings of fatigue or restlessness during the course of the
day, and trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night.
Fortunately, as a parent, there are a
number of ways that you can help your child if they have anxiety:
1.
Ask your child directly about what's
on their mind. Once they begin opening up, listen carefully, pay attention to
their feelings, and avoid trying to fix the issue by telling them what they
should do. Often, just the act of listening is enough for the child to feel
understood and empowered enough to do something about what's bothering them. Of
course, if you are in a position to help them, then you should, but often their
problems are relational conflicts with their peers or the teacher issues where
parental intervention would actually embarrass them.
2.
Sometimes you may be the cause of
their anxiety. They feel that you are quick to punish them when they don't show
the progress you expect from them. If this occurs, find ways to recognize and
to praise them for what they have accomplished that you never acknowledged.
In closing, sleep is essential for health
and well-being, and if your child has difficulty dropping off to sleep or
sleeping well, then you should work to resolve the issue or arrange for some
child counseling if necessary.
Read more...
Share this article :
