The sleep medicine specialists at Bogan Sleep Consultants in Columbia, SC, know plenty when it comes to pediatric sleep disorders. 'Up to 50% of children will experience a sleep problem,' according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Sleep disorders in children may be a consequence of:
- daytime sleepiness
- irritability
- behavioral problems
- learning difficulties
- motor vehicle crashes in teenagers
- poor academic performance
But what is a pediatric sleep disorder?
Children or teenagers who experience disrupted sleep may suffer from cognitive and behavioral issues, unlike adults who experience daytime sleepiness. Disorders include sleep apnea, the repeated partial or complete blockage of breathing pathways during sleep.
Other types of sleep disorders include arousal disorders, snoring, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), Restless Legs Syndrome, insomnia, hypersomnia and nighttime sleep behaviors/Parasomnias.
So how do you treat your child's sleep?
- You need to have a structure for your child. Regular bedtime. Regular waking time. Weekends and weekday sleep and wake up schedules should be consistent as well, veering off by about only 30 minutes.
- Establish a bedtime routine: a bath and a bedtime story.
- Avoid giving your children food and beverages containing caffeine within six hours of their bedtime, and make sure the bedroom is dark, that the bedroom temperature is comfortable and avoid loud noises.
- Avoid large meals close to bedtime and make after-dinner playtime relaxing, instead of a stimulus-inducing time that will only make children more awake. This means no television, computer, mobile phone, radio, or music playing while the child is going to sleep.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding child sleep disorders, don't hesitate to contact Bogan Sleep Consultants in Columbia, SC, today.
