Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Insomnia (Cathryn Harper)

Nothing contributes more to a good day than a good night's sleep. Sometimes, however, you just cannot fall asleep. Worse yet, sometimes your children just cannot fall asleep. And when mom and dad don't get rested, the rest of the crew usually pays for it as well.

When children have difficulty falling asleep, sometimes parents are aware, sometimes they are not. Symptoms are not always conclusive, but take a variety of forms. The most common symptoms include:

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep
Waking too early
Sleepy during the day
Anxiety
Error or accident prone
Trouble at school (academic or social)
Mood swings
Depression
Hyperactivity
Difficulty remembering things
Aggression

Children sometimes work to avoid bedtime any way they can, including asking for things to eat or drink, asking for another story, or to play one more video game. If a particularly entertaining environment, such as a parent's party or a good movie, is beckoning from another room, that may further aggravate the situation.

It is hard to diagnose whether a child has insomnia since the symptoms are so general and could be caused by so many things. Keeping a sleep diary for a few weeks may help decide whether this is just a temporary problem or turning into a permanent one.

Talking with your pediatrician may also shed light on the situation, helping to eliminate other issues and isolating the true problem. A physical exam to rule out other possibilities is also a good idea, helping to identify whether a child has primary or secondary insomnia. Secondary insomnia is due to a distinct cause such as an underlying disease or condition, where primary is not.

Insomnia may be either of the short-lived acute variety, or the long-term chronic type. The acute type lasts only a few nights or a few weeks and may not require treatment. Chronic insomnia, however, rears its ugly head three or more nights a week for a month or more.

Some patients are referred to a sleep center, where they spend the night with observers and electrodes attached at vital points to set some baselines and provide some insight for doctors in assessing the condition.

Causes are many, from stress, to medication side effects, ADHD, asthma, allergy and muscle cramps. More serious causes running from autism and Asperger's, to neurodevelopmental and bipolar disorders, may also be the culprits. Simpler causes may be too many caffeinated drinks, colas, or energy drinks.

Treatment ranges from initiating a good sleep regimen and some options when sleep is hard to come by, to behavioral therapy and indirect hypnotic suggestions, such as guided fantasy stories embedding a personal fairy tale that helps to put the child in control, giving a feeling of security and relaxation. Other solutions include teaching children how to relax, and providing quiet things for them to do when they wake, like reading, that may, in turn, send them back to their pillow, happily snoozing till dawn.

Cathryn is a working mother of three. A self-professed health and fitness nut, Cathryn loves to research and write about health and wellness related topics. For further inquiries please visit at http://www.cathrynharperpress.com/