A baby cannot fall asleep or constantly wakes up … This is the most common insomnia in a child , which occurs for the same reasons (in most cases) as in adults.
Due to night insomnia, the baby is naughty, during the day he has mood swings, and his attention decreases. All this concerns parents in the first place. And the child himself suffers no less from the inability to get enough sleep. Insomnia in children cannot be called a disease, but it directly indicates health problems – mental or physical.
Causes of insomnia in children
There are many reasons leading to insomnia. For example, abdominal pains that often worry the baby. Such symptoms occur in the second week after birth and usually go away by two months. Sometimes it happens that an infant suffers gastric colic for longer, up to 5 months, and this, of course, is reflected in his sleep.
Another cause of poor sleep in babies is teething. This process is quite painful and with a certain amount of discomfort. The teeth are cut, salivation increases, saliva accumulates in the throat, preventing the baby from breathing. As a result, the child wakes up, whimpers, is naughty.
Insomnia in a child can be caused by the characteristic manifestations of a food allergy. A skin rash is almost always accompanied by severe itching, and when the body is constantly itching, it will not be able to sleep soundly, for obvious reasons.
Pinworms are another possible cause of insomnia. Intestinal parasites move along the large intestine to the anus, cause itching, and the baby wakes up.
Ear infections In the wakeful state, the fluid that accumulates in the ear canal is practically not a concern. But during sleep, while lying down, she presses on the membrane, causing pain. As a result, the child does not sleep well, wakes up all the time or cannot sleep at all.
The most common cause of insomnia in a child is the emotional component. Children’s psyche is unstable, as it is not yet fully formed. The slightest change of scenery or the influence of external factors can lead to sleepless nights.
Nightly fears are a common cause of insomnia. At the age of 3-6 years, children tend to fantasize a lot. Even a familiar, harmless wardrobe can turn into a scary monster from a cartoon, and the child will simply be afraid to fall asleep.
Treatment of insomnia in children
Pharmacological drugs with sleeping pills should be treated very carefully. Ideally, they should not be given to a child at all. It would be more correct to review the baby’s regimen, try to find out the cause of his insomnia and rule out all adverse factors. If the child does not have serious health problems, the following actions will help to establish a dream:
- Evening walk in the fresh air.
- Very often, insomnia in a child is caused by overexcitation. Do not play active games with him an hour or half an hour before bedtime.
- Optimal physical activity during the day.
- Aromatherapy
- Relaxing massage.
- Breathing exercises.
Pay attention to the mode – is it too late for the child to go to bed. Create optimally comfortable sleeping conditions. Make sure your mattress and pillow are comfortable for your child.
The children’s room should be quiet, moderately cool. It is good if the child’s bedroom has a night light, creating a calm, relaxing, cozy atmosphere.
A quiet melody calms the baby’s nervous system. Turn on the player with a recording of lullabies, and even better, sing songs to him yourself – better than mom’s voice, nothing can calm the baby.
It has long been known that in a dream a hormone is produced that is responsible for growth and development. Do not underestimate a sound, healthy sleep. If nothing helps to cope with insomnia in a child, be sure to consult a doctor for help.