More tips from sleep specialist Michele Melão! This time, she discusses sleep disorders in children aged 5 to 12 years and how to deal with these issues, which are more common than we imagine. Wetting the bed? Nighttime fears! See what Michele from Maternity Coach says about the topic.
The statistics are a bit alarming: 40% of babies up to 3 years old suffer from some kind of sleep disorder, and contrary to what many people believe—that the problems end after ages 3 or 4—studies show that 27% of parents of children aged 5 to 12 also report difficulty getting their children to sleep1. If your child shows behavioral changes like irritability, aggressiveness, difficulty relating to others, and trouble learning at school, as well as more visible signs like dark circles under the eyes or extreme physical tiredness, he or she is probably sleeping poorly or, even when sleeping, is experiencing low-quality sleep. The quality of sleep can be measured by resistance to sleep, nightmares, fears, anxiety, or difficulty getting back to sleep after each cycle. Today’s post offers tips to improve the sleep of children over 5 years of age.
For many people, it is almost impossible to imagine going so long without proper sleep, but unfortunately, it’s the reality in many households. Children who go to their parents’ bed at night, who cry, scream, wet the bed, complain of hunger, etc.—all for parental attention. And doesn’t it work? I need to stress that there’s no difference between homes where the mother stays with the kids all day, or when the children are at school, whether they’re only children or have siblings. This happens in any family. When there’s no physical problem, special need, or anything that needs medical treatment, carrying a sleep problem for so many years is due to two main factors: the child’s personality and bad sleep habits acquired since they were a baby. No matter what your child’s situation is, what’s important is that there is a solution! As always, the solution here requires the parents’ patience and persistence and, generally, the older the child, the more difficult the habit change.
This change becomes a bit easier when the child is involved in the new routine. Taking the child shopping for new sheets or curtains, or even a friend (toy) to sleep with, can be a good start. For a child who is afraid of being alone, putting up a poster of their favorite character on the door to “guard” the room all night can help them feel safe. For those afraid of the dark, it’s a good idea to use a very dim light, and it’s even better if the child picks out the nightlight or plug-in lamp.
For those who suffer from nocturnal enuresis: the first step is to check if there is any problem that should be monitored by the pediatrician2. Once this possibility is ruled out, the tip for parents is to use some kind of reward system. Our suggestion for children who enjoy it is to work with a sticker album (a simple and inexpensive solution!). For each night the child doesn’t wet the bed, they earn a pack of stickers, and if they go a whole month, they get 10 packs! The idea is that by the end of the second month, the child will naturally spend nights without wetting the bed. It’s also important to make it clear that if the child starts wetting the bed again, there will be some loss (they may need to donate a toy or, in the case of stickers, will lose 2 or 3 out of the 10 packs they would have earned at the end of the month, for example). There are many ideas and strategies. The important thing is to use creativity3 so that the child is also happy with their success in sleeping through the night. With little crying, the idea of achieving something can transform your little one’s nights!
Michele Melão is a certified infant sleep consultant and baby planner by the International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals (IABPP) and International Maternity Institute (IMI), California, and is a partner at Maternity Coach (www.maternitycoach.com.br) – a consultancy specializing in various services for pregnant women and babies.
See also: Sleep Regression in Babies at 4 Months
Photo: SantaRosa OLD SKOOL
