Difficulty in settling young children to sleep

Difficulties in settling to sleep are often under diagnosed in infants and toddlers. Parental behaviours which reduce the child’s independence about sleep, for example requiring a parental presence, or being put to bed once asleep, are the primary grounds for the development of settling difficulties. Potentially, a small but chronic loss of sleep in childhood could directly affect the child’s behaviour and social competence, cognitive performance and physical condition.

Children who have short duration night sleep before 3.5 years of age show increased risk of hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and poorer learning skills at 6 years of age compared with children who sleep for 11 hours a night.

Children who experience persistent short sleep duration in early infancy, are also at increased risk of obesity at 6 years. The importance of sleeping for at least 10 hours a night in early childhood is stressed, as the National Sleep Foundation poll suggests, for optimal child development.

If your child has difficulties in settling to sleep, Contact Dream-Angus and let us help you to help your child.

Sleep and the sensory strategies.

Every child can learn to sleep regardless of physical handicap or mental disability. Children with sensory impairment may require a more detailed plan and children with developmental delay or disability often experience more profound difficulties in settling and maintaining sleep.

Routine is a very important part of forming regular patterns in children's behaviour. Routines are reassuring touchstones in every child's day. Children who have a different understanding of the world value routines even more than average. In an uncertain world where every day brings new challenges, routine reminds the child of the time of day, and leads to the expectancy of fixed events. Bed and wake time should be the most fixed of all the events in the child's day. Routines built to ensure a calm and responsive reaction to bedtime and wake time help the child to cope and understand the actions that are expected and follow on from them.

For sensory impaired children a bedtime routine that starts at the same time EVERY night is vital. Ensuring that the hour before bedtime is spent in calming activities without recourse to playstations or television, enjoying quiet calming activities help cue sleep.

Using a weighted blanket, flannel sheets, giving deep pressure contact or making a snug place in the bed using pillows or, a sleeping bag makes a child feel "held" and comforted which is relaxing and prepares the body and mind for sleep. If a light is required it should not be bright but a soft dim light is more calming.

Limiting the time for each pre bed activity helps acceptance of that activity. White noise and story tapes have their place in this and are very soothing for some children. The child who learns to achieve simple tasks with encouragement and by themselves gains in confidence.
The rituals which form part of the cues for sleeping and waking also help instil a sense of confidence and self awareness in the child.

There is no reason to endure sleep deficit when it is entirely possible to alter a sleep behaviour with a good plan and committment to following through. Sleep deficit doesn't just affect the child but the whole family.

Contact Dream-Angus.com for information and support to improve your child's sleep