Sleep Problems in Childhood

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It is very important for children in the developmental age to get quality and adequate sleep for their physical and psychological health. Sleep problems are an important factor that can hinder children’s social and emotional development and school success. While sleep is so important for the development of children, unfortunately, studies reveal that sleep problems are one of the most common problems in childhood. Some of the most common sleep problems in childhood are:

Difficulty falling asleep: It is usually seen in children who are extremely anxious. It can occur especially after trauma and grief situations. In such cases, it is important for parents to establish routines that are relaxing and will help them fall asleep.

Not sleeping until late hours: It is a situation where the sleep time is delayed until midnight or even after it. Since the child cannot get enough sleep, it can be difficult to wake up in the morning, sleep time that hangs in the afternoon on weekends, fatigue during the day, frequent napping, poor school performance, etc. These are the most common symptoms. Parents need to establish a consistent sleep schedule for the child and implement it consistently on weekends.

Having nightmares: Nightmares are usually fearful dreams that occur during the second stage of sleep. Children may wake up crying or startled. In this case, go to your child as soon as possible. Make him feel safe. Encourage him to tell about his dream.

Night terrors: It develops suddenly during deep sleep as a result of fears and emotional outbursts. Your child may wake up in horror with glassy eyes, trembling or panting. First of all, don’t be alarmed! Unlike nightmares, children are not fully awake in night terrors. Therefore, your child may not recognize you. Do not try to wake him. Make sure your child is not hurting himself. After a while, he will relax and continue to sleep.

Sleeping with parents: It is one of the most common sleep problems in our country. It mostly occurs as a sleep pattern that has not been established since infancy, or as a condition that develops later as a result of divorce or illness. Situations where one or both parents sleep with the child. There are tables that extend up to the adolescence period. Studies show that this situation affects both the self-confidence and individualization of the child and the couple relationship of the parents negatively. For this reason, it is very important to accustom the baby to sleep in his own bed and in his own room in a short time after birth.

Families are often late to take a decisive step, believing that a healthy sleep habit will develop spontaneously over time. However, sleep patterns are one of the important habits that parents should instill in their children, such as eating or toilet training.
Advice to parents:

-Set a bedtime and make sure your child is in bed at the same time every night. Make sure that this clock does not slip more than 1-2 hours on weekends.
-Reduce the amount of light and sound in the environment before bedtime.
-Half an hour before sleep, computer games, TV, etc. Close activities. Do activities that will make it easier for your child to fall asleep. For example, turn on calming soft music, read to him or read to him.
-Build the habit.
-Put your child to sleep in your own bed or living room
-Do not carry. Get into the habit of sleeping in your own room.
-To put your child to sleep, prefer to sit down instead of lying next to him.
Otherwise, you may fall asleep.

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