When a child wakes up in the middle of the night, the first thing they do is call us and ask us to turn on the light or say that they are thirsty and that they want water.
Sleep problems, such as insomnia, are not exclusive to adults. In the case of children it is also frequent. In fact, it is estimated that between 20 and 30% of visits to the pediatrician have this type of disorder as their origin.
Among them is difficulty falling asleep, waking up numerous times at night and even suffering nightmares.
As parents, what measures can we take? In addition to following all the guidelines recommended by pediatricians, you can always put into practice these simple tips so that your child sleeps well. They will surely be of help to you.
1. My child refuses to go to bed, “not sleepy”
This is a very common problem and one that usually brings parents to their heads. We must remember that children have quite intense days every day. They get up early to go to school, do their extra-curricular obligations, do their homework, play…
The physical and intellectual exhaustion is undoubted, which is why they need between 9 and 12 hours of rest.
However, sometimes, it is striking to us that when they most need to go to bed, the more they refuse, and the behaviors they usually present are the following:
- They want to sleep in our bed.
- They want to spend more time watching TV or playing on the computer.
- They ask for “extra time”, justifying that they are not tired and that their friends “go to bed later”.
Things to keep in mind
Children need fixed schedules and must comply with them for the sake of their physical and emotional health, therefore, it is necessary that they sleep enough hours to be able to wake up rested and energized.
Make small pacts with them: “When the weekend comes you can stay a little longer, but tomorrow you have to go to school”.
Be firm but always argue the need to “go to bed early”.
Sometimes, fatigue turns into “overexcitement”, a mood that is even more intensified if children play with their video games, tablets, computers or mobile phones. These devices put them “on alert” and cause insomnia. You should ban them 3 hours before going to bed. It’s for their good!
2. My child wakes up many times at night
Most of the time, when a child wakes up in the middle of the night, what they do immediately is call us, ask for the light to be turned on, or say that they are thirsty and need a glass of water.
After this, he usually has quite a few problems falling asleep and sleeping, so the next day he wakes up exhausted.
Things to keep in mind
- The reason why a child suffers from insomnia or gets up many times at night is almost always due to an emotional problem, anxiety or an internal feeling of insecurity.
- The first thing we will do is rule out any physical problem, any illness that may alter the child’s proper rest.
- The second step, once any problems in his body have been ruled out, isto find out what worries him. He may have a problem at school and that is something we must prioritize to know if he is.
- Children need routines to develop and feel safe. When there is a change at home or in your life, this will immediately be reflected in problems sleeping, and even in your diet.
- There are children who usually have great difficulty separating from their parents and the world when night comes. The simple fact of leaving them alone and turning off the light, plunges them into a feeling similar to that of being abandoned.
- To prevent this from happening, make the process of going to sleep fun and normal. Read a book with them, sit in bed and ask them how the day went, give them security at all times and make the whole process an everyday thing.
- Avoid children taking very long naps at midday. Half an hour is enough. Otherwise, they will have a hard time falling asleep at night.
3. My child has nightmares
Nightmares and night terrors are very common phenomena in children, and it is common for them to be suffered between the ages of 4 and 11, and there are children who are more prone than others to suffer from them.
However, we must bear in mind that, more than anything, they are due to this evolutionary moment, to their brain development and to a neuronal overexcitation that tends to stabilize over time.
As psychologists explain to us, nightmares also serve to release tensions and conflicts that they have experienced during the day, hence our support is essential.
Things to keep in mind
- Nightmares should be seen as something normal, so it will always be appropriate to ask them to tell you about them and then give them your rational and objective approach: “It’s just a dream, it’s not real, and it may be due to that movie you saw, or that story we read.”
- Never reinforce their nightmares, that is, if your child starts to obsess over a monster from their dreams, try to deflect the subject. Make them focus their attention on other , much kinder things.
- However, it is also necessary to find out if this nightmare has as its origin “a real fear”, something that we cannot rule out and that we should talk about with the child.
- At bedtime, talk about nice things, read kind stories, and wish him to have fantastic dreams in which to have fun. If you wish, have them have their own charms, such as the typical dreamcatcher, or small colored light pilots.
- They are nothing more than small strategies with which to normalize an evolutionary process in many children, and that will surely end up being resolved in a short time, but until then, support them at all times.
- Give them all your attention with the utmost affection, and if you see that at some point some nightmares become very repetitive and you cannot rest properly at night, do not hesitate to consult a professional.
Source: Better with Health
