Insomnia is a sleep condition that can cause your child to lose valuable hours of sleep. More than the dreadful effect on you, it can negatively affect your child’s health, growth and development, missing the healing and body repair benefits that happen in their sleep.

If your child is being deprived of restful sleep, he/she may exhibit moodiness, resulting in behavioral issues at home and in school. More than their shifting moods, insomnia may also cause some serious effects on their health.

What may cause pediatric insomnia?

Sleeplessness may happen to anyone, including children, from time to time. When it causes your child to lose sleep most days of the week for a month or more, this is the type that would not go away without professional intervention. Such type may be more seriously connected or caused by an emotional issue – anxiety or depression – or a medical condition.

The other causes include stress, certain environmental conditions (excessive noise, cold, heat, or light conditions), taking stimulants (caffeine or too much sugar) or some medications (anticonvulsants, corticosteroids or antidepressants).

What symptoms must you watch out for?

Sleep deprivation may likely cause your child to exhibit irritability and mood swings. For young children, these can be manifested in tantrums and incessant crying. For older, school-aged children, these may be expressed in aggressiveness, defiance and other behavioral issues, resulting in disciplinary problems at home and in school.

According to the Children’s National Medical Center director Judith Owens, M.D., persisting insomnia over an extended period may affect their brain, causing a drop in their IQ, memory problems, decreased attention span, and impairment in their functioning during the day. If the sleep issue persists for years, it can impair the child’s thinking processes, even in their adult life.

How can you help free your child from the grips of pediatric insomnia?

Pediatric insomnia is not a minor concern. Sleep is a primary brain activity following the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythms. Sleep is restorative – it is something that should enhance brain functioning. Yet, 20 to 30 percent of children are estimated to be struggling with insomnia, says behavioral sleep specialist Sarah Honaker, Ph.D, from the University of Louisville, School of Medicine.

To be able to properly help your child, it is important to recognize what is causing their insomnia. Find the help you need from Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC. Call Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC for an appointment with one its independently contracted counselors, so you can help your child get enough sleep for a happy and healthy life.

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