Sleep problem in kids should be addressed early to avert behavioural problems. Find out the issues faced by children with sleep problems and also how to improve the kid’s sleep. Kids have a daily requirement of at least nine hours of sleep. Lack of sleep or any other sleep problems can result in bad health, irritable mood and bad attention levels and thus affect the kid’s performance and learning abilities. Not to forget his irritable mood will also negatively impact his development of social skills. In this articleProblems Faced by Kids Due to Lack of Sleep.How to Detect Sleep Problems in KidsChart Out a RoutineHave Soothing Bedtime RoutineMake His Bedroom PleasantNo TV or Games Before BedtimeDinner Should Not Be HeavyProblems Faced by Kids Due to Lack of Sleep. Here are some problems faced by children due to lack of sleep or sleep problems.Performance graph shows no stability.The child’s mood keeps fluctuating and is often irritated, disturbed and annoyed.There can be other behavioural problems like lack of alertness and attention to the instructions given to him.His concentration is low, his memory does not function as desired and he has a learning difficulty.His reaction time is slow.He is prone to injuries and accidents that could have been well avoided had he been alert.How to Detect Sleep Problems in Kids Given below are some common signs to look out for in order to infer that the kid has a sleeping problem.The child refuses to fall asleep easily; he shows discomfort when laid to sleep.The breathing is not smooth during his sleep, that is, there are intermittent pauses in between.The child snores a lot.He gets up often during the night.He indulges in unusual activities like having nightmares or does sleepwalking.He cannot stay awake during the day.His regular day time activities show poor performanceMeasures to Improve the Kid’s Sleep You can take following measures to help your child have better sleep. Chart Out a Routine Make the kid go to bed at a designated time; there should not be any laxity in maintaining the same time every day. He should also be woken up at the same time regularly. There can be a leniency of half an hour to one hour during the weekends, but not more than that. Have Soothing Bedtime Routine This means that engage the kid in an activity that soothes his body as it prepares to retire at night. This can be like, taking a warm shower, reading his favourite story book, or listening to soft music. Make His Bedroom Pleasant There should be a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere in the kid’s bedroom. It should be dimly lit and comfortable in terms of furniture and colours of the furnishings. There also should not be any noise nearby, nor should people speak loudly when you are putting the kid to sleep. No TV or Games Before Bedtime Do not allow the kid to watch television, listen to the radio, or play video games before going to bed. These activities excite the nerves and sleeping becomes difficult. Dinner Should Not Be Heavy Make sure that the kid does not have a heavy meal before going to bed. This will excite his digestive system and put off the sleep. The child should not be given any food with caffeine, even chocolates at least six hours prior to bedtime. Finally, although it is natural that you love your child a lot, avoid building this habit of putting the him or her to sleep in your arms or going to sleep with your child in his bed. Help the child develop individual habits and this will make him self-sufficient and less dependent on you. Else you will find yourself in trouble if the kid gets used to sleeping in your arms or with you in bed. He will refuse to go to sleep without you. Help the child develop the habit to live in peace in his own space; your responsibility should be to make this space comfortable and loving.
Sleep problem in kids should be addressed early to avert behavioural problems. Find out the issues faced by children with sleep problems and also how to improve the kid’s sleep. Kids have a daily requirement of at least nine hours of sleep. Lack of sleep or any other sleep problems can result in bad health, irritable mood and bad attention levels and thus affect the kid’s performance and learning abilities. Not to forget his irritable mood will also negatively impact his development of social skills.
Problems Faced by Kids Due to Lack of Sleep.
Here are some problems faced by children due to lack of sleep or sleep problems.
- Performance graph shows no stability.
- The child’s mood keeps fluctuating and is often irritated, disturbed and annoyed.
- There can be other behavioural problems like lack of alertness and attention to the instructions given to him.
- His concentration is low, his memory does not function as desired and he has a learning difficulty.
- His reaction time is slow.
- He is prone to injuries and accidents that could have been well avoided had he been alert.
How to Detect Sleep Problems in Kids
Given below are some common signs to look out for in order to infer that the kid has a sleeping problem.
- The child refuses to fall asleep easily; he shows discomfort when laid to sleep.
- The breathing is not smooth during his sleep, that is, there are intermittent pauses in between.
- The child snores a lot.
- He gets up often during the night.
- He indulges in unusual activities like having nightmares or does sleepwalking.
- He cannot stay awake during the day.
- His regular day time activities show poor performance
Measures to Improve the Kid’s Sleep
You can take following measures to help your child have better sleep.
Chart Out a Routine
Make the kid go to bed at a designated time; there should not be any laxity in maintaining the same time every day. He should also be woken up at the same time regularly. There can be a leniency of half an hour to one hour during the weekends, but not more than that.
Have Soothing Bedtime Routine
This means that engage the kid in an activity that soothes his body as it prepares to retire at night. This can be like, taking a warm shower, reading his favourite story book, or listening to soft music.
Make His Bedroom Pleasant
There should be a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere in the kid’s bedroom. It should be dimly lit and comfortable in terms of furniture and colours of the furnishings. There also should not be any noise nearby, nor should people speak loudly when you are putting the kid to sleep.
No TV or Games Before Bedtime
Do not allow the kid to watch television, listen to the radio, or play video games before going to bed. These activities excite the nerves and sleeping becomes difficult.
Dinner Should Not Be Heavy
Make sure that the kid does not have a heavy meal before going to bed. This will excite his digestive system and put off the sleep. The child should not be given any food with caffeine, even chocolates at least six hours prior to bedtime.
Finally, although it is natural that you love your child a lot, avoid building this habit of putting the him or her to sleep in your arms or going to sleep with your child in his bed. Help the child develop individual habits and this will make him self-sufficient and less dependent on you. Else you will find yourself in trouble if the kid gets used to sleeping in your arms or with you in bed. He will refuse to go to sleep without you. Help the child develop the habit to live in peace in his own space; your responsibility should be to make this space comfortable and loving.
