Sleep Disorder:Sleep Problems in Children

Majority of children are probably not getting enough sleep, and many parents do not think this is much of an issue due to their lack of awareness about the subject. Lack of sleep may manifest as health and Behavioural problems in a child. Understanding the importance of sleep in children and its effect on the overall health of both the parents and the child is the first step towards making sleep a family priority.

A child of today is over-scheduled, over-committed, over-extended, and as a result overtired. Children, who spend more time doing extracurricular activities, do so at the expense of sleep time. It pays to know that when children are sleep deprived the region most affected is that area in the brain which influences their emotional response, and controls their actions. In effect, children who get less sleep consistently experience difficulty in handling their emotions appropriately.

It is important to make bedtime a pleasant routine, which the child would voluntarily look forward to. Something as natural as sleep should not become a routine chore. Sleep should be patterned as fun. Remember if you want your child's dreams to come true teach them to first sleep well.