Sleep problems in children

Reviewed by Dr Stuart Crisp, paediatric specialist registrar

The importance of sleep

Sleep is important to everybody. When we sleep, we rest and gain energy for a new day. But sleep does more than that. When we dream, we process all the events of our daily life.

After a night without enough sleep, one feels exhausted and irritable. But after a good night's sleep, one feels rested, refreshed and full of energy. No wonder that it is so important to parents that their child sleeps through the night. It influences the entire family's life and wellbeing.

How much sleep does my child need?

Sleep is important for the child's wellbeing.

At night, the body produces more of the hormone that stimulates growth. So sleep is important for your child's development as well.

Newborn babies sleep up to 16 hours per day. At first, they wake up every two or three hours to feed.

From four months old, babies often start to sleep for longer periods of time.

From six months old and up to one year, they often sleep five to six hours continuously.

Children between one year and five years old sleep up to 12 hours each day.

A pre-school child may still need to sleep 10 to 12 hours each day.

A schoolchild sleeps about 10 hours each day.

It is important to remember that each child's sleeping pattern is different. If a child is one year old and sleeps 10 hours each day, it is perfectly OK, as long as the child is happy and healthy.

Before parents start to worry about the amount of time their child sleeps, it is a good idea to look at the sleeping patterns of other family members. There might be a connection.

My child wakes up every two hours - what do I do?

If you have a newborn baby, this is to be expected. A newborn baby often needs to eat every two or three hours. Normally, your baby's sleeping periods increase little by little.

At the age of five months, there is no need to maintain nightly meals, even though many babies would like to. If you want to teach an older baby to sleep all night, teach it that nothing exciting happens during the night.

If the child wakes up in the night:

do not turn the lights on

try not to talk to the child or play with them.

If the child needs to be changed, do so with as little fuss as possible. Teach the child that they do not have to eat or drink to fall asleep and that they do not eat at night. This may sound a little harsh but it is the first step towards teaching the child that at night, people sleep! Parents should only do this of course, if they feel it is necessary and that it is the right thing to do for their child.

My baby cries persistently - should I let my baby cry itself to sleep?

No. A child who cries persistently usually needs its carer's attention. As soon as you enter the room your child feels safer. You may stroke their head and back, or tuck your baby up in the bedclothes. Make the baby feel you are there and they can safely go back to sleep.

A persistently crying child needs to be reassured that they are not alone in the world. This does not mean that you have to feed or entertain your child. Make sure the child is not ill.

How do I get a baby to sleep through the night?

First the parents have to decide whether they are ready for this next step. If a child is between four and six months old, it will probably only take three or four nights to teach them to sleep through the night. If the child is older than six months, it may take one or two weeks.

Prepare yourself

Being prepared for the task makes you less likely to give up after one night. You should also discuss this with your partner, so you both agree on your plan of action in order to support each other.

Decide how you are going to divide the night between you. Go to bed when you have put the child to bed in order to be rested when the hard work begins. Agree on how you will define "morning". Will it be 6am, 7am or even later?

Start by doing as little as possible

Each time the child wakes up during the night, start off by doing as little as possible. Stroke the child's head and back and tuck them in. Give the child their dummy if they use one.

This may help for an hour and then the child may wake up again.

Try the same thing again. If the baby does not go back to sleep, they may need their nappy changing. Try to do this without turning the lights on, or entertaining your child. After this, the child may sleep for another hour. If that does not work, now is the time to offer the child some water.

The water has two functions. It tells the child that we do not eat at night, but that we can have water if we are thirsty. If simply stroking and tucking in the child do not help, it might be a good idea to keep the pram next to the cot. Put the baby in the pram and push it back and forth for a little while. Repeat the above activities whenever the child wakes in the night.

Remember that the night is supposed to be boring for the child, so don't do anything that is likely to make them excited.

Go To Next Page>>



The documents contained in this web site are presented for information purposes only. The material is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. The materials in this web site cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. Conditions for use



© Copyright 1998 - 2004 NetDoctor.co.uk - All rights reserved