If you are still searching about insomnia in kids, and have a lot of questions about it, then you are at the most appropriate place to fetch all the relevant information.
Overview On Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that keeps you awake at night even when you’re willing to sleep. It can be a short-term disorder or can stay for a long time too. For the short term, it may last from one night to a few weeks. In its severe stages, it may last up to 3 months, deteriorating the health simultaneously. Doctors have categorized Insomnia into two types: Primary Insomnia, which does not let you sleep but is not a reason for any other health issue or problem. Secondary Insomnia, where you do not feel like sleeping, and it is due to a health issue like arthritis or cancer.
Insomnia in Kids
There are different causes of primary and secondary Insomnia in kids, some of which have been listed below:
Causes of Primary Insomnia
- Sometimes noise, light, discomfort, or high/low temperature can be the reason for your kid to have insomnia.
- Frequent changes in routine or sleep schedule can also be obstacles in a child’s life to have sleep breaks.
Causes of Secondary Insomnia
- Competitions in schools or other academic institutions might lead to anxiety and depression.
- If the child consumes excessive coffee, it can keep him/her awake at night as coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and energies the mind, which in turn keeps your child awake.
Steps To Overcome Insomnia
Here are a few steps that can help you to overcome Insomnia.
- A child should make a regular sleep cycle so that they sleep and wake up at the same time.
- You should refrain from feeding anything that contains caffeine or nicotine to your child. These ingredients can severely damage the sleep cycle of your child, leading them to Insomnia.
- Exercising in the morning as well as in the evening will help in inducing tiredness in the body, which can help in regulating sleep.
- If your kid is unable to sleep at night, don’t let them sleep in the afternoon and evening. This will, in turn, let them be tired and have a sound sleep at night.
- Eating and drinking right before going to bed is a bad habit. Keep a fair gap between your child’s dinner and bedtime.
- Ensure that your child’s sleep environment is calm and free of distractions.
More About Insomnia in Kids
If you want to know more about Insomnia, then you can refer to the points given below:
Insomnia Can Be Different in Every Case
Not every child with Insomnia will have an underlying problem. Monitor your child’s sleep cycle and if it doesn’t get better within a month, consult your doctor for further information.
Parents Should Not Be Present When the Child Sleeps
When a parent is available when the child falls asleep, it might be a good thing, but being present when he wakes up again in the middle of his sleep and then assisting him to sleep again can be a bad habit. Let the child stay alone at that time to get a habit of sleeping by themself.
Five-Minute Requests Are Harmful
Remember how your kids ask you to let them stay in bed for just “5 more minutes”? You should not entertain such requests as staying in bed for a longer duration during the day will eventually lead to a lack of sleep at the night. Similarly, you should not entertain your child’s request for “one more story” during bedtime as this will hinder their sleep cycle. But in all of this, you should be cautious not to scold or hit your child as it will lead them to have stress and anxiety, which will result in Insomnia.
These are some facts about Insomnia that all the parents might not know. So now, when you know everything about Insomnia, you must also collect the relevant information about the severe stages when there is a need to see the doctor.
When to See a Doctor?
- If the situation persists for more than 3 weeks, you should consult your doctor. The disorder usually lasts for up to a month but if it keeps extending, it can be worrisome.
- When anxiety and lack of confidence accompany the disorder, it becomes essential to see a pediatrician.
- When the child’s mental health is also being affected, making them more aggressive and moody, then it is necessary to see a psychologist in the least possible time.
These are the events when you need to see your doctor in case of Insomnia. This is all the comprehensive knowledge about Insomnia in kids.
The Final Lines
Medication does help in Insomnia but only to an extent. If your child is facing Insomnia and feels that it is in the initial state, there is nothing better than improvising the bedtime routine. If you find this article informative and valuable to you in some sense, then share it with your friends and family to create awareness for insomnia in kids.