Module 2 • Behaviour Problems 1 Signs of sleep problems in children
Talk to your pediatrician if your child exhibits any of the following signs of a sleep problem: • snoring • breathing pauses during sleep • difficulty falling asleep • problems with sleeping through the night • difficulty staying awake during the day • unexplained decrease in daytime performance • unusual events during sleep such as sleepwalking or nightmares.
2 Tips for improving your child’s sleep
• Establish a regular time for bed each night and do not vary from it. Similarly, the waking time should not differ from weekday to weekend by more than one to one and a half hours.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine, such as giving your child a warm bath or reading a story. • Do not give children any food or drinks with caffeine less than six hours before bedtime. • Make sure the temperature in the bedroom is comfortable and that the bedroom is dark. • Make sure the noise level in the house is low. • Avoid giving children large meals close to bedtime. • Make after-dinner playtime a relaxing time, as too much activity close to bedtime can keep children awake.
• There should be no television, computer, mobile phone, radio, or music playing while the child is going to sleep. TV and video games should be turned off at least one hour prior to bedtime.
• Infants and children should be put to bed when they appear tired but still awake (rather than falling asleep in their parent’s arms, or in another room). Parents should avoid getting into bed with a child in order to get them to sleep.
3 What to do if the child is afraid of the dark?
• Be sympathetic: do not deny the child’s fear or say it is stupid. • Handle the child with understanding. • Encourage the child to talk about his fear and then reassure him that you understand that he is afraid, but that is unnecessary.
• Give reasons to him why he should not be afraid e.g. there are burglar bars in front of the windows, we will hear you immediately when you call us.
• Provide a light: leave a dimlight on in the passage and keep the child’s door open so that is not pitch dark in the room.
• Maybe you can allow the child to keep a torch under his pillow, and he can switch it on when he feels afraid.
• Rearrange his room: furniture sometimes makes scary shadows. • Tell a story: tell a story about another child that was scared and how he dealt with his fear. The child can then identify with this character.
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