Generally speaking, children have good sleep. Nowadays, people refer to a person's good sleep as baby like sleep, but not all babies have very good sleep. Some children may also have insomnia. So what should be done for children with insomnia?
1、 Six Reasons for Insomnia in Infants and Young Children Revealed
Poor sleeping habits: Children's difficulty falling asleep is often related to incorrect parenting methods, such as holding the child until they fall asleep and then placing them on the bed, sleeping with the child (sleeping with them), etc. There is a clear relationship between children's difficulty falling asleep and insecure attachment.
Sleep terror: Children aged 4 to 12 often experience nighttime terror without their parents being aware of it. Some children confuse sleep with death, thinking that if they fall asleep, they will die. Therefore, there is a fear of sleep.
Environmental factors: Noise, bright lighting, indoor overheating and coldness, high humidity, uncomfortable beds, crowded rooms, and high academic pressure can all affect sleep.
Physiological factors: excessive hunger, overeating, and physical discomfort can cause difficulty falling asleep.
Sleep rhythm disorder: After a child goes to school, the study time at night is too long, and the original sleep wake rhythm is disrupted.
Improper diet: Consuming stimulating foods or beverages such as tea, coffee, Coca Cola, chocolate, and central nervous system stimulants can all affect sleep and cause sleep disorders.
Insomnia includes three forms: difficulty falling asleep, increased wakefulness during sleep, and early awakening. Preschool and school-age children often exhibit difficulty falling asleep and/or waking up from sleep, while adolescents may present with three forms of coexistence.
2、 The 3 main manifestations of insomnia in infants and young children
1. Night startle
Night startle is a common condition of insomnia in children, which refers to a brief panic symptom that suddenly appears during sleep and is more common in children aged 5-6. Between half an hour and two hours after falling asleep, the child suddenly sits up and screams, cries, stares or closes their eyes tightly, showing a very frightened and uneasy facial expression.
Generally, children are in a daze when experiencing night terrors, and do not respond much to their parents' calls. After a few seconds to a few minutes, they will quickly fall asleep again. The next day, the child woke up with no recollection or only a feeling of fear. The occurrence of night terrors is mainly related to the psychological and social factors of children, such as family discord, sudden separation from parents and relatives, unexpected changes in the family, severe criticism and punishment from parents or teachers, listening to tense and exciting stories or watching terrifying TV before bedtime, etc.
2. Nightmare
Nightmare refers to a child waking up from a terrifying nightmare in the second half of the night, feeling extremely nervous and anxious. It is commonly seen in school aged children aged 8-10. The difference between nightmares and night terrors is that children's nightmares are easily awakened. After waking up, their consciousness quickly becomes clear, and they can vividly recall the dream they just had, feeling very scared.
Nightmares are also a common type of insomnia in children, and the main reasons for their occurrence are as follows: some children have psychological conflicts or emotional anxiety in the recent period; Some children watch horror TV during the day; Some people have uncomfortable sleeping positions, such as sleeping under a blanket or sleeping with their hands pressed against their chest; Some are also triggered by poor breathing due to a cold or abdominal pain caused by parasites.
3. Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking occurs within 3 hours of starting sleep, when a child suddenly wakes up, walks, or performs familiar actions while sleeping. They may not respond to talking to them or talking to themselves for a few minutes before returning to bed on their own. The next day, they wake up unable to recall what they did at night.
Many children who sleepwalk gradually lose their symptoms as they grow up, which is the result of their central nervous system maturing. But for children who sleepwalk, doctors must rule out the possibility of temporal lobe epilepsy in the early stages. It should be noted that children who sleepwalk may be at risk of injury, so if possible, they are usually awakened before the onset of their sleepwalking.
3、 Baby has difficulty falling asleep, mommy cleverly hypnotizes
Tip 1: Reasonably arrange your baby's daytime activities
To ensure that babies sleep well at night, it is necessary to arrange their daytime activities reasonably. Let the baby play happily during the day, and when they are tired, they will naturally sleep soundly at night. Additionally, the duration of a baby's nap should not be too long, usually around two hours is sufficient; Don't let your baby eat too much before dinner and bedtime; After dinner, it is advisable to engage in some relaxing and peaceful activities, but not too excited. Before going to bed, giving your baby a comfortable warm bath can help with sleep.
Tip 2: Play some gentle music
To soothe the baby's emotions, you can also try playing some gentle music such as serenades or lullabies in the room, or gently embracing the baby in bed, singing lullabies, telling stories together, and letting him slowly fall asleep.
Tip 3: Patiently coax insomnia babies to sleep
When the baby still refuses to sleep despite all kinds of coaxing, parents should not be too impatient, and their words and actions should be calm and composed. Firstly, it is important to ensure that the baby does not get out of bed. Parents can use pictures, storybooks, or toys to attract them to stay in bed. If the baby insists on getting out of bed, try to keep him playing in his own room and then gently coax him into bed. If the baby insists on walking out of the room, parents can first turn off the lights outside and stay in the room. When the baby walks and finds it dark outside with no one around, he will naturally come back for help. At this point, you can softly but firmly say to him: It's getting dark, everyone is sleeping, Mom won't go, and Baby won't go either, okay? Baby is actually very smart. When he sees such an environment, he will definitely choose to stay in a warm room with Mom. At this point, you can speak softly to him, stroke his back, gently pinch his feet and toes, and tell him it's time for sleep rather than play. The baby will gradually calm down and eventually choose to sleep peacefully.
Tip 4: Start with diet
If the baby is restless due to discomfort with teething or weather conditions, and cannot sleep at night, they can use 10 grams of ivory shreds, 6 grams of white peony, 15 grams of stone cassia, 15 grams of malt, 3 honey dates, and 100 grams of lean meat. Put them in a pot and add an appropriate amount of water to boil for one hour. Fry them into a bowl and give them two portions to drink. When a baby's sleep is disrupted due to the growth of prickly heat, some prickly heat powder (such as baby hot prickly heat powder, containing natural mint and eucalyptus oil) can be used appropriately after bathing to make the baby feel refreshed and comfortable, and reduce itching. However, it should be noted that babies should be washed promptly after sweating to prevent powder stains and dirt from blocking pores and sweat glands
Tip 5: Help babies develop good sleep habits
After efforts, when the baby's sleep habits gradually improve, we cannot take it lightly and continue to work hard to achieve results. Every day, it is important to ensure that the baby has a regular schedule and goes to bed on time, without disrupting this routine; Don't watch TV before bedtime, don't tell overly exciting stories, and don't get too excited about playing; Pay attention to indoor air circulation; The bed should not be too soft, the bedding should not be too thick, and do not force the baby's sleeping position to be limited.
It is best for children with insomnia to actively search for the specific causes of insomnia, and finding the specific causes requires targeted treatment. Of course, you can also use the mother hypnosis method described in this article to hypnotize your baby. In fact, as long as we find a way, children can completely bid farewell to insomnia.
