Children’s sleep is one of the important things that parents should pay attention to, as is their nutrition. In the previous article, we gave you information about 4 reasons why babies sleep and how to treat them quickly. Now we want to introduce you to the cause of insomnia in children between the ages of 1-6 and the very simple home remedy method.
Introduction:
Aman from staying up late nights and worrying some of the children, which really upset their parents. Meanwhile, there are parents who do not know the cause of this problem or even the solution. We suggest this group of people to follow this article till the end because it contains important and new information that can help them in this field.
The sleep of children, like the sleep of adults, if it is less than the specified amount, causes them physical and mental problems, and makes them lethargic and dull during the day, and this is accompanied by their unnecessary excuses. Below you will learn more about the causes of insomnia and ways to treat it.
Learn about the hours people sleep from infancy to adolescence:
- Most children usually sleep 19 to 20 hours a day.
- On average, a one-year-old sleeps between 14 and 15 hours a day.
- A three-year-old sleeps an average of 12 hours in a 24-hour period.
- 4-year-olds should sleep 11.5 hours a night.
- Between five and six years of age, a child needs 12 hours of sleep per day.
- An 11-year-old needs 9 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.
- Also, during education, the child needs to sleep between 8 and 9 hours a day.
- Typically, teens should get at least 8 hours of full sleep each night.
What are the causes of insomnia in children between the ages of 1-4 years?
As you know, babies sleep more than adults and we can’t expect to be able to get the baby used to a regular sleep, the baby’s sleep before three months is very light and the baby can be woken up by hunger and noise.
In fact, this is because the baby’s sleep in this stage is that it alternates between light sleep in the stage and sleep in the heavy stage, and gradually with age this sleep turns into deeper stages. In any case, whatever the cause of the child’s insomnia, it is the duty of the parents to take care of them so that they do not suffer from insomnia. Here are some of the most important causes of insomnia.
1- Hyperactivity is an important factor
If your baby is not getting enough sleep, either during the day or at night, it could be a sign of hyperactivity. Hyperactive children sometimes sleep less than their peers.
2- Lack of a regular sleep schedule and delayed sleep:
The mistake of some parents is that they put the child to sleep every night before he cries and calls for help. so as not to sleep alone.
The best thing you can do is take him to his bed very soon when you see that he is sleepy, that way he will learn how to sleep peacefully on his own. Even if he wakes up in the middle of the night. Some children are late at their bedtime, making many excuses to stay awake, for example, reading another story to them or going to the bathroom, etc. You better have discipline in this matter. But remember to be kind and firm. Every time your child calls you, go to his room, stay very short and come back quickly. Let the child know that it’s really time to sleep.
3- Insomnia resulting from fatigue or hunger:
In most cases, babies’ crying and restlessness is due to their hunger. Children should also have a regular schedule for sleeping, waking up, playing and eating regularly so that the child does not feel tired at any part of the day and night and does not get restless during sleep due to hunger.
4- Not sleeping in the afternoon:
Try to put the baby to sleep during the day. This not only makes him feel refreshed, but he doesn’t sleep badly at night either. If a child does not sleep well during the day, he usually has difficulty falling asleep at night. Babies need two to three naps half a day, and toddlers need to sleep at least once a day.
5- Obstructive sleep apnea:
One of the causes of insomnia in children is apnea. This disease is rare, but some children cannot sleep due to sleep apnea. This often occurs with enlarged tonsils and nasal tissues called third tonsils. This disease affects 1 in 100 children between the ages of 3 and 7.
6- Crowded environment:
Being in noisy, tense and crowded environments disturbs the sleep of infants and children and, as a result, they sleep poorly.
Therefore, in order to prevent your child from falling asleep, do not take them to a crowded environment at night and reduce the volume of the TV.
Read about: 5 Reasons You Should Sleep With Your Baby (And 1 Reason Not To Sleep!)
7- Inappropriate clothes and conditions in the child’s room:
As you know, the baby’s room should be dark when sleeping and only a small night light should be on. Dress the child in comfortable clothes, keep the room quiet, and close the door if there is a light or television outside the child’s room.
Sometimes it happens that the baby’s room is too hot or too cold, which is why the baby wakes up and falls asleep. Always keep the baby’s room temperature in a balanced range.
8- The presence of a disease or discomfort and the effect of medications:
Various problems and discomforts cause restlessness in infants and children. Among the most important causes of insomnia in children under the age of two are intestinal cramps, problems digesting food, ear pain, parasites, as well as children’s fears and depression, etc., which parents should pay attention to and treat with a full medical examination. Also, some cold and allergy medications or some hyperactivity medications can affect a child’s sleep. If your child’s waking up is caused by medication, be sure to talk to the doctor about this so they can make the necessary changes in the amount or type of use.
9- The problem of snoring in children:
Yes, it is true that snoring can also be seen in children!!! One in ten children snores, which can occur for a number of reasons, including sleep apnea, seasonal allergies, the common cold, or a deviated septum. If the child sleeps without problems, the doctor may not do anything for treatment, but if he cannot sleep properly, then treatment measures are definitely necessary.
10- Fear of alienation from parents:
It’s not at all unusual for your child to reach the point where he feels separation anxiety. Don’t try to intensify this behavior by talking a lot, feeding more, and petting a lot. At about 6 months of age, you can help the baby fall asleep on his own. Talk to him softly and stroke his back to make him look sick. Make him comfortable, but don’t overdo it. A bedside lamp can also help create calm in the darkness of a child’s room.
11- Watching horror movies:
Sometimes it is seen that some children suffer from poor sleep due to watching scary movies. It is best for parents to prevent children from watching scary movies and moving around a lot.
Treating insomnia in children:
1- Do not eat foods containing caffeine that disturb sleep: Just as caffeine causes insomnia in adults, it is the same in children. Eliminate or reduce caffeinated foods from your diet. If the child is interested in eating these foods, try to eat these substances as much as possible 4 hours before bedtime, because the reaction of children to consuming caffeine-containing substances is the same as that of adults, that is, just like consuming these substances in adults causes insomnia, and they have the same effect in children.
2- Maintain a normal room temperature: doctors recommend checking your child’s room temperature so that the room temperature is not too high or low. The air temperature in the baby’s room causes bad sleep. Therefore, by creating proper ventilation in the baby’s room, provide him with the right conditions for sleeping. In addition, the low temperature of the child’s room causes him to catch a cold.
3- Doing physical activity during the day: In order for the child to get tired and fall asleep early, doctors recommend encouraging him to do physical activity during the day. Children who do not get enough activity during the day and do not exhaust their energy suffer from insomnia.
4- Putting toys away from where the child sleeps: Remove any favorite toys and games for your child from his bedroom, because sometimes these children play with these things and do not sleep.
5- Avoid eating high-calorie foods for dinner: doctors do not recommend eating a lot of sugary foods in children’s dinner because eating a lot of sugar before going to bed increases energy and makes children more active. Therefore, the desire to be more active disrupts the process of falling asleep very well.
What else ?
6- Drinking milk before bedtime: One of the best foods that help children relax and sleep is milk. Nutrition experts usually recommend consuming things like lukewarm milk that contains calcium before going to bed.
7- Eat dinner about two hours before bedtime: It is important to prepare the child’s dinner at least two hours before bedtime. This causes the food to be partially digested and the child does not sleep with a full stomach, because a full stomach usually causes a lack of sleep.
8- Commitment to a regular sleep schedule: The hours of sleep for the child must be specified. Consider a specific hour. For the first time, encourage your child to go to bed at that exact time, and on other nights, even on weekends, use that time as a benchmark for your child’s bedtime. Continue the same procedure to wake up. Note that the earlier your child gets up, the better, because he will be quite tired at night and fall asleep at about the same time. Parents are advised to think about a fixed sleeping place for their children and assure their child that he should rest in his place. Changing the sleeping place is often disturbing even for adults and may cause them to fall asleep later.
9- Lack of exciting TV programs: There are some children who are interested in watching interesting programs and cartoons. Do not allow these children to stay up late and sleep late on the pretext of watching TV. Set a specific bedtime for them and limit them to sleeping at the same time.
10- Reduce ambient noise: There are few people who can sleep amidst a lot of noise. Children are also sensitive to busy times and cannot sleep. Parents of this group of children are advised to keep the home environment quiet so that the child sleeps better and avoid making any loud noises, TV sound, etc.
If you have any suggestions or questions about baby insomnia, share them with us in the comment section so we can answer them.
