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Tucking your kids into bed at night, giving them a hug and a kiss and
turning out the light is one of those special moments ... you’ve put
the children safe and snug in their beds, prepared for a restful night
to awaken to a bright new day.
Unless, of course, they have problems sleeping. Which is very common
for children in the first few years of life. Problems include waking in
the middle of the night, nightmares and night terrors.
The good news is that most sleep problems can be solved and your
pediatrician can help. From the experts at The Children’s Mercy
Hospital, here’s a look at some of the most common problems.
Night waking
Infants are born with irregular sleep cycles which take about six
months to mature. As children get older, their need for sleep
decreases; however all children are different and some children need
more sleep than others.
It’s normal for infants to wake up briefly during the night, but these
awakenings should only last a few minutes and children should be
expected to go back to sleep on their own. Some steps to take to help
prevent night waking:
- Don’t let your infant sleep as long during the day.
- Put your baby into the crib at the first signs of drowsiness. It is
best to let the baby learn to relax himself to sleep.
- Avoid putting a baby to bed with a pacifier; she may wake up
without it and begin to cry.
- Begin to delay your reaction to infant fussing at four to six
months of age. Wait five minutes before you go check on the baby
because the baby will probably go back to sleep in a few minutes
anyway.
Nightmares
Nightmares are scary dreams followed by complete awakening. They
usually happen during the second half of the night when dreaming is
most intense. After a nightmare, your child will usually wake up and
tell you what happened.
Children may be crying or fearful after a nightmare, but will be aware
of your presence. They may have trouble falling back to sleep. Some
ideas:
- Reach the child as quickly as possible.
- Arouse her and assure her that you are there and won’t let anything
harm her.
- If your child is crying or shaking, comfort and calm him.
- Keep in mind that the nightmare is real to the child. Listen to him
and encourage him to tell you what happened.
- Once the child is calm, encourage her to go back to sleep.
Night terrors
Night terrors are different from nightmares and far less common. They
happen when there is a switch from a deep sleep to a light sleep.
During a night terror, it is almost impossible to wake the child who
may be thrashing, screaming, kicking and/or staring without signs of
recognizing his parents. The night terror might last as long as 45
minutes.
Children do not remember night terrors.
Some tips:
- Remain calm.
- Don’t try to wake your child.
- If the child tries to get out of bed, gently restrain him.
- Remember your child will probably relax and sleep quietly again as
suddenly as he "awoke."
Keep in mind that night terrors are usually more scary for parents than
for children and they rarely indicate any serious problems.
Night terrors happen most often during early childhood and usually
disappear by the time a child reaches grade school.
Sleep problems may be hard to understand and stressful for parents. But
it’s important to remember that sleep problems are very common and with
time and the help of your pediatrician or other experts, your child
will outgrow them.
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