Many children these days suffer form sleep disorders. Sleep disorders in children vary from walking in the sleep, to breathing problems and even seeing nightmares causing a fear of sleep. Because of sleeping disorders most children tend to sleep for long hours during the daytime making them lethargic and affecting their academic performance.

Sleep patterns vary a lot among children and adults and children need far more sleep than adults. A child on an average needs to sleep for at least nine to twelve hours a day. Parents and caretakers need to ensure than the child is waking up without any difficulty and feels fresh throughout the day. If the child feels tired and is sluggish it means that the child is not getting enough sleep.

Children have sleep cycles that vary from light to deep and there are a lot of chances of the child waking up during every light sleep cycle. So care should be taken that the child sleeps in a peaceful environment so that chances of waking up during the light cycles is less. Carelessness and mood swings are also symptoms of sleep deprivation. The most common types of sleep disorders include bedwetting in which the child unknowingly wets the bed. Other types of disorders include having frequent and reoccurring nightmares that end up waking up the child. Walking around in sleep is also commonly found among many children. Other than sleep walking, sleep talking is also a problem that shouldn’t be ignored and is a sign of a sleeping disorder. Some children also fear the dark that can also cause sleep disorders.

Children find it difficult to concentrate in their studies and may even ignore going out with friends. Most children also stop pursuing their hobbies and become whiners. Stress among children can cause sleep disorders and can occur from excessive home work, peer pressure, bullying by other kids and even marital problems. The sleep disorders among children need to be cured early and its best to consult a psychiatric and go in for behavior therapy if required. Another important point to remember is that the children should never be scolded in such situations and should always be encouraged to talk about the problems to their parents.

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