How to help your child send insomnia packing

How to help your child send insomnia packing


You may know the feeling: lying awak4870e in bed, unable to fall asleep no matter how many sheep you count. It turns out that insomnia doesn’t just affect adults. One out of four children and teenagers suffer from it, too.

Defined as the inability to fall asleep or waking up frequently during the night, insomnia can be caused by a number of factors, including stress, excessive caffeine consumption, use of certain medications and genetics. The lack of adequate sleep can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart problems and trouble focusing in school.

Luckily, there are simple solutions to help get your child back to being well-rested.

Start by shutting down the screens about an hour before bedtime. A study published in BMJ Open found that children who spend four hours or more daily using media devices, such as smartphones, are 50 percent more likely to have trouble falling asleep. Regulating media device use is a big help. Encourage children to listen to music instead or read a book to calm their minds.

Doctors recommend setting regular bedtimes for you and your children and sticking to them. According to the National Sleep Foundation, children ages 6 to 13 should get between nine and 11 hours of sleep; for teenagers, it’s eight to 10 hours.

Also, be sure to ask if the sleeping environment is comfortable. Rooms that are too hot, cold or noisy can disrupt sleep. It’s often helpful to ask your child’s teacher whether staying awake or having problems focusing are issues in the classroom.

Finally, be sure to keep an open door in case they need to talk about something that’s bothering them. Just clearing the air could be all it takes to ease their mind and let the sandman drop in.

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