“Surely you must be tired? How do you have so much energy at night? Please don’t stall on bedtime tonight! You have five seconds to jump in bed – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”
If these sentiments feel familiar, you are not alone. Sleep-related concerns are a common reason parents seek help for their babies and young children.
Signs and Symptoms of Disrupted Sleep
Chronic poor sleep quality can show up in children in a myriad of ways. It may affect their physical growth and development, mood, focus, behaviour, appetite regulation, and energy levels.
Interestingly, fatigue in children often presents as hyperactivity — a “wired” state rather than obvious tiredness.
The Role and Importance of Sleep
Sleep is essential for all aspects of development. During sleep, the body works hard to support: Consolidating learning from the day (including physical and coordination skills), memory processing, tissue repair, growth and development and preparing the body for the day ahead.
Interestingly, melatonin release not only signals sleep but also triggers growth hormone, making sleep particularly important for growing bodies.
And this is all just non-REM sleep.
REM sleep (also known as dream sleep) plays an important role in brain development, emotional regulation, stress processing, learning, and helping newly acquired skills “stick.”
If your child is not getting quality, uninterrupted sleep and waking happy, energised, and refreshed, it may be time to look a little deeper.
Sleep Disorder Versus Disordered Sleep
When concerns about sleep quality arise, an important next step is determining whether your child has a sleep disorder or is experiencing disordered sleep — or sometimes both.
A sleep disorder refers to a condition that can be medically diagnosed, including (but not limited to): Insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, night terrors, and restless leg syndrome.
Disordered sleep, on the other hand, refers to disruptions in sleep patterns such as difficulty falling asleep or frequent night waking. These disruptions often stem from factors such as the sleep environment, emotional well-being, and daily routines.
What’s the Next Step?
As mentioned, sleep disorders and disordered sleep are not mutually exclusive — two things can be true at once. The goal is to tease apart what exactly is going on.
This may involve bringing together a supportive care team. Depending on the signs and symptoms, this might include: A family doctor, speech pathologists trained in myofunctional therapy, an airway-focused dentist, orofacial myofunctional therapists, a chiropractor and/or an osteopath and a naturopath.
Naturopathy can play a particularly helpful role in optimising circadian rhythm, which is essential for healthy, restorative sleep — especially in cases of disordered sleep.
Naturopathic support can also be helpful in situations, for example, where enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids may be contributing to sleep disruption. (See blog: Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids: Tissues Gone Rogue?)
Help is Available
It’s important to acknowledge that poor sleep quantity and quality affect more than just the child — it can take a real toll on the entire family. Busy mums, dads, and caregivers are often left feeling just as exhausted.
The good news is that improving your little one’s sleep often creates a positive ripple effect throughout the whole household.
If you’re ready to explore the next steps and start gathering your team, you’re welcome to reach out today.
[Photo by Briana Blum on Unsplash]