| Homepage | Web Directory | Article Directory | Bid Directory |
Articles. News. Information. | |
Category of Information, News & Articles |
|
|
|
Mommy, I Can't Sleep! Sleep Disturbance in Children
"Just turn the lights off and go to sleep" Do you find yourself saying this to your child? Well, you're not alone!! Sleep problems are some of the most common problems parents face with their children. Some parents struggle with getting their child to sleep through the night. New parents worry about how to help their child learn good sleep habits that last a lifetime. And still others wonder if their child's sleep difficulties are chronic and are concerned that their child may be going through their days sleep-deprived. Studies reveal that a significant number of children have some form of a sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbances among children and adolescents are common. Prolonged changes in sleep patterns, if left untreated, can result in significant emotional, behavioral, and cognitive impairment and can put your child at risk for poor school performance, accidents, and social or medical problems. The key is to identify changes in sleep, and to know when to seek assistance. Sleep disturbance can take several forms including: ? difficulty falling asleep There also are other variations of sleep issues known as parasomnias, e.g., night terrors or sleepwalking. To alleviate your child's sleep disturbance, try these simple steps: ? Keep bedtime at the same time each night: This helps your child establish a structure and enforces a predictable routine. ? Monitor unnecessary environmental stimuli: Minimize the light and noise in the child's bedroom (music, lights) ? Encourage pre-bedtime relaxation: Children respond well to activities that allow them to wind down such as a warm bath, massage or aromatherapy ? Share some activity: Dedicate time to reading a bedtime story or talking about your child's day and encouraging meditation and reflection ? Plan the transition: Ease the child into new processes by discussing changes and comforting their transition into healthy sleep habits Sleep in its natural form is the only way our bodies can re-charge. Beyond resting, sleep serves many functions including memory preservation. If your child is not receiving the quality and quantity of sleep that is required (typically 8-12 hours each night is optimal), the toll can be enormous. Performance in school, interacting with others and activities of daily living may diminish in quality. The origins of a sleep disturbance may range from anxiety tied to emotional conflicts, such as fear of an upcoming test or excitement over a speaking part in the school play, to medical issues such as apnea. It is important that the underlying issue be addressed, no matter the source, to resolve the sleep disturbance and give your child their best shot at life. Remember always to take into account where your child is in their developmental stage, because some sleep issues are age-appropriate. If you have exhausted the suggestions listed above, then possibly the need for professional intervention is warranted. You are the expert when it comes to your child and their sleep patterns. If you have a concern, trust your instinct and seek professional advice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Charles Sophy, author of the "Keep 'Em Off My Couch" blog, provides real simple answers for solving life's biggest problems. He specializes in improving the mental health of children. To contact Dr. Sophy, visit his blog at http://drsophy.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Parenting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
What Do You Do When Your Child is Smarter than You? We adopted our first child when he was three months old. When we went to the agency to get him, he promptly stood up on my wife's lap and looked out the window. How Kids Learn To Cooperate In Video Games -- A Guide for Parents and Teachers A great many parents are concerned that the electronic games their kids play are teaching the kids "negative" messages such as aggression, violence, and isolation from real people. I want to illustrate here how computer and video game playing, can have positive effects on kids. CPR: Why You Should Know It I never dreamed that I would be in a position to use CPR on someone. But I was wrong. My Dads Secrets From the book Spider's Night on the BoomI've only begun to understand my dad since I became a father myself, and it's amazing to me how I'm constantly being reminded of lessons he taught me 40 years ago-lessons that I never even knew I was learning.As a kid, my life was like a black-and-white kid's adventure movie, composed of disjointed, but sometimes very exciting scenes. How to Deal with Your Child's Inappropriate Behaviour Children bombard parents with many challenging behaviours. We are delighted if their behaviour is mostly positive. How to Prepare for Labor Although nothing anybody says can ever completely prepare a woman for the day she delivers her first baby, there are some simple suggestions that should help make this amazing experience a little bit easier.First of all there are three very honest realities about childbirth that your doctor, mother, grandmother, and maybe even your best friend will probably not tell you. What the Matter Is When my oldest boy was really young, he tickled my mother with that phrase. I would ask him, "What's the matter?" and he would answer me, "Well, what the matter is. How to Make Kids More Likeable? Nothing touches the heartstrings of a parent more than the plaintive cry "nobody likes me" or "I don't have any friends." We wish there were something we could do to insure our child will be, if not the most popular, at least included in the games on the playground. The Personality of a Virgo Child Your Virgo Baby.. People of the Century by Dan Rather Dan Rather made a significant and tactical error and got involved in politics where he should not have gone. I personally and millions of American's lost complete respect for him and he left the news media under a cloud of darkness while disgracing his family name and negating so much of his earlier work. COMMITMENT: Teaching Children the Lessons of a Lifetime It's been said, time and again, that for a child to learn what is most important, he must be shown the lessons through example, not through words. And, if we are to nurture certain traits within our children, we must first develop those traits in ourselves. Dinner Table Drama It has been a long day. Home from work, you put together a nice, healthy dinner for the entire family to enjoy. Identifying Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the Classroom: Eight Things Teachers Should Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the phrase that is used to describe children who have significant problems with high levels of distractibility or inattention, impulsiveness, and often with excessive motor activity levels. There may be deficits in attention and impulse control without hyperactivity being present. Guide to Choosing Plush Toys for Children Many people consider plush toys great for children. They say that plush is a soft material that children love very much and that plush toys are so adorable, that you can't resist them. Use Encouragement Instead of Criticism to Help Children Improve Criticism is punitiveOur children judge themselves on the opinions we have of them. When we use harsh words, demeaning adjectives or a sarcastic tone of voice, we literally strip a child's core of self-confidence and make them less likely to try to please us. Summer Survival Summer Survival The summer season is here and along with it comes summer vacation for the school-aged kids. Moms are now responsible for coming up with the ideas and curriculum for their children and I am the first to admit that by the summer my creative juices have just about run out. Parenting Your Teenager: What Teens Say About Parents What's hard for teenagersHaving people who don't understand you trying to control you.Parents not understanding the things you have to deal with. Where Is Your Homework, Lisa? Is Homework Really That Important?Dear Friends,I no longer teach in public schools, but for what seems like 100 years, I did. During my long career, I did the best I knew how to do at the time, based on where I was in life, and what I had learned about teaching. My Husband Prioritizes Making Money Above Family Time "Money is tight, and my husband's obsessed with doing everything he can to make more of it. It's gotten so bad that he's lost interest in our daughter. A Minute Can Turn into Hours for the Child of a Work-at-Home Mom In theory, working at home is an ideal situation. But in reality, it's difficult to balance the needs of your family with the needs of your clients.
|
| Home | Sitemap | |
| © 2006 eInfoJunction.com | Homepage | Web Directory | Article Directory| Bid Directory |
