Insomnia in Children – A Condition to Watch Out for

There can be many possible reasons for insomnia in children. Some of the reasons include depression, anxiety, etc. It is important to note that the root cause must be treated first before treating this ailment.

Insomnia in Children – Know it in Detail

Insomnia in children is a sleep disorder in which they cannot fall asleep or stay asleep at night. Sometimes they may wake up too early as well. In general, insomnia in children can be classified according to the duration, frequency, and severity of the problem. In fact, this condition can occur for both short-term and long-term. The reasons for short-term insomnia can be sickness, certain types of medications, etc., and it may last only for a few days to some weeks. On the other hand, the long-term variety can occur for three times a week in a month, and the reasons can be some medical problems, stress, etc. It becomes necessary to seek medical help for a child suffering from insomnia for a longer period.

Insomnia Symptoms – Detailed Information

The insomnia symptoms include feeling sleepy during the day, disciplinary problems, making mistakes or having accidents, mood swings and irritability, hyperactivity, aggression, memory problems, etc. There can also be other symptoms like decreased attention span, worrying too much about having to go to bed and falling asleep, etc. In fact, the insomnia symptoms would be different for each child. Some of the most possible causes for insomnia include excessive use of stimulants like caffeine, side effects of some medicines, psychiatric problems, environmental factors, and so on. There is no particular method to diagnose insomnia. In other words, the diagnosis is made on the basis of symptoms.

Insomnia Medication – Interesting Facts

In most of the cases, the doctors do not recommend insomnia medication for children. In other words, treating with medicines is considered as the last resort. Some of the commonly used medications used include hypnotics like minor tranquilizers, sedatives, anti-anxiety drugs, etc. These drugs need a prescription from the doctor because they are addictives or induce habit-formation. There are various other treatment methods used to treat this ailment. Some of them are cultivating good sleep hygiene habits like avoiding caffeinated products, tobacco, etc., 4-6 hours before going to sleep, practicing relaxation, and the like. Setting a regular sleep schedule to get the required amount of sleep, trying out options like behavioral therapy, etc., can also be of great help in this regard.

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