Reasons Why Children Have Difficulty Sleeping at Night

The causes of children having difficulty sleeping at night are health problems such as sleep apnea, fear of the dark, nightmares, and stress. If this problem is not treated immediately, this disorder can hinder their development. Therefore, let's find out more about the causes so that mothers can prevent worse events from happening early on.

Common Causes

Triggers for your little one having difficulty sleeping can come from bad habits and the environment, for example inconsistent bedtimes. This irregularity can disrupt the body's biological clock to wake up and rest. As a result, it is difficult for your little one to enter their bed on time at night.

Then, environmental factors such as sound, light, security, and pollution can also disrupt their sleep. As a result, their sleep time is reduced, and they often become sleepy during the day. Therefore, mothers can condition the surrounding environment such as using a night light and not making loud noises before bedtime.

In addition, the use of gadgets and watching television before bed can keep your little one awake. This is because the blue light that comes from these devices suppresses substances that can make your little one sleepy. Therefore, limit your little one from using gadgets and television before bedtime.

The Influence of Health Factors on Sleep Patterns

Health disorders can also disrupt your little one's sleep, such as sleep apnea. This disease will make it difficult for them to breathe while sleeping. If you see your little one sleeping with their mouth open, snoring loudly, and often feeling sleepy during the day, then you should immediately check with a doctor.

In addition to respiratory problems, a stomach full of gas can also interfere with their sleep comfort. The characteristics are frequent burping, an enlarged stomach, and pain in the stomach. This disease can go away on its own, but you can also consult a doctor for further examination.

Then, if you see your little one often scratching his body, he may actually have atopic dermatitis. In fact, many children who experience this disease have difficulty sleeping. The way to overcome this is to clean yourself before going to bed, use moisturizer, and medication to control eczema from a doctor.

Psychological Factors That Make It Difficult to Sleep

If your little one does not experience health problems like the ones above, but still has difficulty sleeping at night, he may have a psychological disorder that causes his sleep to be uncomfortable. For example, fear of the dark, nightmares, and stress. However, you don't need to worry, here's how to overcome it.

Fear of the dark arises because your little one's imagination makes him imagine scary things. For example, there is a monster that appears behind his bedroom door. To calm him down, you can explain that what he imagines is not real.

Then, sudden changes such as moving house, fighting with friends, or poor family conditions can cause your little one to become stressed and have nightmares. He will wake up easily at night and be restless when sleeping. The way to overcome this is to explain that his dreams are not real and avoid watching or reading scary things that can worsen your little one's stress.

In addition, you can also prepare your little one for bed by giving him milk. With a full stomach, your little one can sleep soundly. Let's find out more about: 5 Benefits of Drinking Milk Before Bed for Children.

Reference:

American Academy of Dermatology Association. What can help a child with eczema sleep? Accessed on June 22, 2024. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/eczema/childhood/health-concerns/sleep

Baby Center. Gas pain in children. Accessed on June 22, 2024. https://www.babycenter.com/health/conditions/gas-pain-in-children_1201487

Healthline. Sleep Disorders in Children. Accessed on June 22, 2024. https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/sleep-disorders-in-children