Contents
When we are parents, we know that sleep is not like it used to be… Because our children’s nights are often hectic. Afternighttime feedings and bottles, the period of sleep disturbances arises. Some classics, like difficulty falling asleep, others rarer, even spectacular, such as sleep apnea, somnambulism or night terrors. A little recap of children’s sleep disorders… and their solutions.
My child is afraid of the dark
What’s going on ? It is between 2 and 3 years old that the toddler begins to fear the dark. Sign that he is growing! The more he is aware of his surroundings, the more he feels dependent on his parents, and the more he dreads being alone. Now, black represents the night, the hour of separation. To face this “loneliness”, he has more than ever need his bearings. But black precisely means the loss of one’s bearings! This fear will gradually fade between the ages of 5 and 6.
>> The solution. We avoid leaving it in the evening in front of televised images, a source of anxiety. No screens either (tablets, etc.) that disturb the child’s sleep. We install in his room a night light (see our selection) with a soft light, but which does not cast threatening shadows. Or we leave the door ajar on the lighted hallway. “To help get through this difficult course, parents must maintain a reassuring and loving attitude, but firm,” advises Dr Vecchierini, who stresses the importance of sleep with regular schedules.
He wakes up in the middle of the night
What’s going on ? Nocturnal awakenings are more and more numerous until the age of 9 months, then stabilize at two or three per night. In 80% of cases, there is no pathology, they are normal physiological phenomena. The baby wakes up and goes back to sleep. But someone who does not fall asleep alone at night does not know how to go back to sleep alone at night: he calls and wakes his parents.
>> The solution. It goes through behavioral treatment, with the “3-5-8” method : when baby calls, we come to see him first every three, then five, then eight minutes. No more taking it: we reassure him with your voice and gently remind him that he is sleeping time. In two or three nights, it is radical, the child remakes his nights without calling. Otherwise, better see a doctor to make sure that these awakenings do not have another cause, such as organic pain.
>>> To read also:“Children, tips for ensuring quality sleep”
Grinding teeth, or bruxism
“Some 3- to 6-year-olds grind their teeth at night. It’s called bruxism. It is found in all stages of sleep, with a preponderance during slow sleep. The problem is that sometimes this activation of the jaw muscles causes micro-arousals that affect the stability of sleep. This may be related to a dental occlusion disorder, which a consultation with the orthodontist will highlight. There can also be a factor of family heredity, but very often, bruxism is a sign of anxiety: it is on the psychiatric side that the solution must be sought. “
Dr Marie-Françoise Vecchierini, neuropsychiatrist specializing in children’s sleep
She has nightmares
What’s going on ? 20 to 30% of children aged 3 to 6 have nightmares at the end of the night, during cycles rich in paradoxical sleep, where mental activity is most important. The emotional conflicts (entry to school, arrival of a little brother, etc.) favor its occurrence. Their content is vivid, a kind of dread persists after waking up.
>> The solution. When the child wakes up, it is up to us to ensure that the fear does not last. We make him tell his nightmare, so that it is discharged of its anxiety-inducing content. We take the time to reassure him, then we leave his door open, a light on … The next day, we can make him draw this frightening nightmare: putting it on paper will help him to break away from it.
My child is sleepwalking, or he has night terrors
What’s going on ? The child starts screaming for five to ten minutes. He has his eyes wide open, seems to be in the grip of intense fear, does not recognize his parents. Or he is a sleepwalker: he gets up and walks around. These phenomena are parasomnies : activations of the autonomic nervous system, while the child is sleeping soundly. They occur in the first part of the night, during the long phases of slow deep sleep.
“The neurophysiological mechanisms are unstable in the young, hence these disorders when moving from one phase of sleep to another”, specifies Marie-Françoise Vecchierini. If thefamily inheritance is the first cause, they are also favored by stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation or irregular hours, especially in 3 to 6 year olds.
>> The solution. It is not recommended to wake up a child from a parasomnia: it confuses him and causes inappropriate reactions. These episodes leave no memory to the child, even in the event of intense “terror”. There is no need to talk to him about it too much, at the risk of distressing him and accentuating the phenomenon. We secures the environment of the sleepwalking child to prevent him from falling or being injured. We guide him to his bed and we put him back to bed. If he resists, we let him sleep where he is, on the living room rug for example. It is advisable to reduce the drink and avoid physical exercise in the evening, in order to reduce the appearance of these phenomena which, although impressive, do not no impact on his health.
“During a night terror, the child sleeps: only the parents are terrified!”
My daughter snores!
What’s going on ? Snoring is caused by vibration soft parts of the pharynx when there is an obstacle to the passage of air, including enlarged tonsils. 6-7% of children aged 3 to 7 snore regularly. This snoring is not serious, but 2 to 3% of them have episodes ofapnea (brief breathing stops): they get poor quality sleep, which can cause restlessness and disturbances in attention during the day.
>> The solution. When the tonsils are too large, they are removed to facilitate the passage of air, and the snoring stops. But if the doctor suspects an apnea, it will be necessary to proceed to a sleep recording to the hospital. The specialist then establishes his diagnosis and proposes a specific treatment.
In any case, if snoring is frequent, it is better to consult.