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NIGHTMARES AND BEDWETTING
and sleepwalking—oh my! Even after
they’ve mastered sleeping through most nights, young children are often prone to
sleep problems. Here’s how to cope with four common ones. Be sure to also talk to
your child’s doctor if your child is experiencing any of them:
Nightmares.
If your child wakes up frightened from a scary dream, assure your
youngster that dreams aren’t real—and that you won’t let anything harm him or her.
Turning on a night-light or offering a favorite stuffed animal might help your child
feel safe enough to fall back asleep. So can helping your child imagine a different end-
ing to the nightmare.
Is your child too scared to sleep alone? It’s OK sometimes to stay in your child’s
bedroom until he or she nods off. But don’t make this a habit. It’s better to return
to your youngster’s room every 10 minutes or so and offer reassurance.
Bedwetting.
Most kids wet their beds at least occasionally while being potty
trained. And even those completely out of diapers—including many 5- and
6-year-olds—have accidents every now and then.
To help avoid soggy sheets, have your child use the bathroom right before bedtime
and limit beverages at night. If an accident happens, don’t blame or punish your child.
Some children simply take longer than others to learn to control their bladders.
Sleepwalking.
This tends to run in families and is most common in kids 3 to
7 years old, especially sleep-deprived ones. So try to see that your youngster gets
enough shut-eye.
Don’t try to wake up a sleepwalking child.
Just gently lead your youngster back to
bed; chances are your child will settle down. To keep your youngster safe, lock out-
side doors, block stairways and don’t let your child sleep in a bunk bed.
Loud, frequent snoring.
This is a red flag for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), par-
ticularly if your child also gasps while sleeping and is unusually sleepy during the
day. Doctors often treat sleep apnea by removing a child’s tonsils and adenoids. Left
untreated, OSA can cause heart, behavior and growth problems.
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; National Sleep Foundation
Finding help
If your child is
experiencing
sleep problems,
call Faith Regional
Physician Services
Pulmonology at
402-844-8190
to learn more
or schedule an
appointment, or
visit
Mommy, there’s
a monster
under my
bed—again!
ADVICE FOR COPING WITH NIGHTMARES
AND OTHER SLEEP PROBLEMS IN KIDS
