The Basics on Sleep Patterns and Child Behavior
Sleep; It’s one of my favorite activities that has been hardest to keep normal during this unique time. With the change in routines, and the shift in the free time vs work time schedule; it’s only valid that our sleep time isn’t exactly normal. But what does that mean for our little ones? What are the normal sleep patterns and what are some red flags for sleep disturbances to address with your healthcare professional?
Sleep patterns change throughout our life-time, and take on it’s own rhythm as we age. The average U.S. children sleep 11 hours by 5 years old, and gives up routine naps. The Gusii (in Kenya), Japanese (in Indonesia), and Zuni (in New Mexico) have a different cultural norm; they have no bedtime and their children stay up until sleepy. Much different from the 92% of American parents that set at least one sleep related rule.
1/10 U.S. parents/caregivers report sleep problems with their child. This might be related to sleep walking or talking when sleeping. Sleep disturbances may be secondary to accidental activation of the brain's motor control system, or it may be triggered by disordered breathing or restless leg movement. This may be a pattern that runs in families, or it’s often associated with separation anxiety.
Sleep disturbances are typically occasional, and outgrown by children. Persistent sleep problems may be a precursor for emotional, physiological, or neurological issues and need to be examined by a healthcare professional.
Sleep terrors, or night terrors are when a child awakes abruptly early in the night from a deep sleep in an agitated state. They may scream, sit-up, have rapid breathing, stare, or thrash abruptly. They’re described as not being completely awake, quiets quickly, and typically forgets the episode by the next morning. This occurs most with kids ages 3-13, and boys are more affected than girls.
Walking, and talking during sleep is pretty typical during early childhood. Sleepwalking is harmless in most cases, however children may be in danger of hurting themselves. It’s suggested to not interrupt the episode; it may increase confusion or further frighten the child.
Nightmares are common- often secondary to staying up late, eating heavily close to bedtime, overexcitement due to overstimulation from television, scary movies/stories. Occasional nightmares are fine, but if it seems to persist or become frequent; it might be a sign of excess stress.
Most kids stay dry at night by 3-5 years old. Enuresis is repeated involuntary urination at night. Even with kids that have controlled bladders, this is not unusual. 10-15% of 5 year olds bed-wet regularly with deep sleep. More than half outgrow it without help by age 8. Enuresis is common and not serious; the child is not to blame and should not be punished. Generally, parents don’t need to address it unless the child is distressed from bed-wetting. If it persists past age 8-10, it may be a sign of poor self-concept or other psychological problems.
