Examples of Child Sleep Disorders
Children’s sleep disorders can manifest themselves in many ways, and some can be more serious than others. The underlying factor in most cases is a child’s fear of the dark - something most of us can remember. We shall look at the different types of sleep disorders common in children and describe their symptoms and possible results. We shall attempt to help parents to understand what is happening to their children when they suffer from a sleep disorder, and also what they can, and should, do to help their offspring get over it.
A fear of the dark leads to nightmares, about monsters, dragons or any other nasty beast the child might have read about or seen on TV that day. In some cases these nightmares end with the child waking up shouting and screaming. This can already be considered a sleep disorder, but it becomes even more serious when it leads to bedwetting. (more…)
February 5, 2008
Sleep Disorders: Not Everything is Insomnia
A sleep disorder, as the name suggests, is any type of disorder that affects a person?s sleep and does not allow them to get all the benefit of good, deep sleep. While a lot of people would not consider this too serious, sleep conditions can in fact have a very important effect on your life, since lack of good, restful sleep can affect your mood, your emotions and even your physical capacity to do such dangerous things as driving a car.
Classifications
There are actually quite a few different sleep disorder conditions, including: bruxism, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and snoring. All of these disorders do have certain similarities, but on the other hand they also have many differences that make each one unique. And because each one is unique, the causes of each one are different, as are the treatments needed.
Bruxism
This particular sleep disorder is one of the most common of all, and which involves an incessant grinding and clenching of the teeth. Persons with this condition are usually not even aware that they have developed this habit, and it usually takes someone sleeping near them at some point to notice it and point it out to them. (more…)
January 15, 2008
Insomnia in Children - What You Should Know
While most of us are familiar with the problem of insomnia in adults - we have perhaps suffered from it ourselves - children can also suffer from this sleep disorder. It seems to occur irrespective of the child’s age and can be slight or, in a small number of cases, severe. Just as in the case of adults, a child’s insomnia can be caused by any number of factors. And just as the causes are diverse, so are the steps that can be taken to attempt to solve the problem.
A major factor to be considered is that children have a strong need for feeling secure. With any change in circumstances, a condition could be created that the child cannot handle on their own and this could lead to insomnia. (more…)
January 9, 2008
Insomnia - 5 Symptoms to Look Out For
Insomnia symptoms are often difficult to distinguish, and may in fact be a reflection of some other problem. However, if you experience a number of them at the same time - or often - then there’s a pretty good chance that you are, in fact, suffering from insomnia. One common symptom of insomnia is feeling sleepy and tired throughout the day. However, we all know that we can feel tired or sleepy if we’ve been through a stressful period, or even if we’ve had a heavy lunch.
However, you should suspect that something is wrong, if you notice a pattern of tiredness right from the moment of awakening, on a regular basis. You should know that high blood sugar or a hormonal deficiency can also produce similar symptoms, so do not jump to a conclusion about insomnia without checking things with your doctor. (more…)