Children's sleep difficulties.

Children's sleep difficulties vary with the age and developmental stage of the child. They can be simple with a single cause and a quick solution, or they can be complex with more than one difficulty. It is always important to differentiate between a genuine sleep difficulty and a physical or psychological problem. The most common sleep difficulties are related to going to bed, getting to sleep, and staying asleep all night without interruption.


Some children are resistant to bed time. They always want another story, another drink or snack, and generally put off the time when they must go to bed. For some children this is because they are fearful of being alone, of the dark or because they have had bad dreams, or fear bad things lurking in their room. Developing a good short recognisable pre bed routine which allows the child to quiet their thoughts and calm before bed is helpful and there are simple reassuring measures that parents can take to make the experience less worrying.


Learning to go to sleep without requiring any other stimulation is entirely possible. Always being be held, fed, rocked or to have a parent present, leads the child to believe that without these contacts and reassurances they cannot get to sleep by themselves. In fact every child can get to sleep without these associations but some take longer to learn this. Parents who have had difficulties in getting their child to sleep may inadvertantly create a situation where the child will not sleep without their presence and this has to be unlearned.


Although sleep is considered to be a quiet activity this is not always the case. Most children have between five and eight periods of lighter sleep when they may waken. If they required a parental presence to get them to sleep at bed time, they will require this again when their lighter sleep results in a night waking. Adults also have these periods of lighter sleep but they are usually aware that this is light sleep and may change their position and return to sleep without a full awareness of having been lightly asleep. Children have to learn to do this too.

If you need help to teach your child to sleep Contact us at Dream-Angus.com

Head banging and body rocking.

Rhythmic Movement Disorder is the correct term for rhythmic movements including headbanging and body rocking. These are common in young children who use these movements to self soothe. They can occur at the start of sleep and when the child is in lighter sleep or is aroused in the night.

Studies indicate that about two thirds of children aged 9 months use rhythmic movement to self soothe. Less than half still do so at 18 months and only about 8% continue to do so by the time they are 4 years old. It is also estimated that approximately 3-15% head bang to a significant degree. This behaviour usually starts before one year with body rocking being more prevelant than headbanging. Boys are much more likely to use these methods to self soothe.

The earliest bodyrocking occurs at about 6 months. It is usually done while on hands and knees and the whole body is rocked. Head rolling, side to side movements while lying on the back can start at about 10 months. Body rolling is less common, rolling from side to side from lying on the back.

Parents get very anxious about these behaviours and the risk of injury, particularly the risk of head injury. Some also assocciate these behaviours with mental retardation or Autism and this leads to general developmental concerns. For most children this behaviour is self limiting and by the age of 2-3 years it is outgrown. By the age of 4 years 90% of children no longer use this method of self soothing.

The key to resolving this is largely to ignore it, and certainly to avoid reinforcing the behaviour.


If you have concerns about your child, contact Dream-Angus.com