Your school child can’t fall asleep?

Your school child can’t fall asleep?

Is your child pale and chronically tired? Ever since your child started school, they have to get up early but find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning? And in the evening your child is tired but still cannot fall asleep? Almost every child suffers from occasional insomnia. This can be triggered by being overwhelmed, stress, changes in the living environment, excitement, joy or by health factors such as allergies, colds or the like. Your child has a serious problem falling asleep if it has been complaining of problems falling asleep for more than four weeks and is tired during the day, has trouble concentrating and is listless. Every fourth to fifth child in industrialized countries suffers from real sleep disorders, and the trend is rising. Boys are more likely to have trouble falling asleep than girls. to be rested your child needs an average of ten to twelve hours of sleep. But you can only sleep in at the weekend or during the holidays. So your child should learn to go to bed early enough during the week so that it is fit again the next morning.

Why getting enough sleep is important for your child

Lack of sleep has serious effects on your child’s performance and health. Lack of sleep leads to poor concentration. They are less creative at school and in their free time, lack drive and are irritable. His performance is impaired and learning disorders can occur. Other consequences could be growth disorders, mood swings and anxiety. Your child’s health can also suffer from lack of sleep. During sleep, the immune system is strengthened, growth hormones are released and you recharge your batteries for the new day.

Why your child can’t fall asleep

There can be different reasons why your child cannot fall asleep:

• It could be overloaded with too many appointments to complete.
• It was an exciting day and the experiences have not yet been processed.
• Your child is ill or will become ill.
• You have moved and your child is not yet used to the new environment.
• Perhaps your child has just watched an exciting program on television or played on the computer until just before bedtime. Then it’s overstimulated.
• If your child is looking forward to a visit or is upset about bad news, then he cannot fall asleep with excitement.
• Your child may have fears of a monster in the closet or something that prevent them from falling asleep.
• Your child doesn’t want to miss anything and wants to stay with you and your partner.
• Difficulty falling asleep could be an expression of a daytime disturbance that your child has not yet processed.

How you can help your child fall asleep

• Look for the reasons: Observe your child closely. What is the trigger for the sleep problems? Is it overwhelm, excitement, fear, the TV, quarrels in the family or health?
• Remove disruptive factors: What disturbs your child when falling asleep? A light source, a poster, noisy siblings, or is it too dark and your child is afraid? Instead of discussing with your child what bothers them about the poster, simply remove it.
• Pay attention to the sleeping environment: Is the sleeping place quiet? how is the mattress Isn’t the room too warm? Is the bedding and sleeping bag comfortable and cozy? Make sure that your child does not have to fall asleep in the cigarette smoke. Sleep quality is just as important as sleep duration.
• Sleeping rituals help: Practice fixed bedtime rituals with your child. This will help your child fall asleep. Make sure they are soothing rituals, such as a massage or bedtime tea.
• Fixed bedtimes: A regular bedtime makes it easier for your child to fall asleep. Regular times prevent sleep problems.
• Chat hour: Talk to your child about the day. If she can tell you what has stressed her and experienced exciting things, she relieves tension. Ask what they found particularly beautiful and what they are grateful for.
• Don’t worry: your child will need about 60 minutes to “shut down”. At least one hour before going to bed, there should be no more television or exciting games.
• Exercise and spiritual nourishment: Make sure that your child gets enough physical exercise during the day, especially since they have to sit a lot at school. This not only promotes healthy sleep, but also health in general. Think about where your child can romp around in the apartment. Your child also needs spiritual nourishment, for example through handicrafts or music.
• Late risers should go to bed earlier: It doesn’t matter if they sleep late or rise early, your child can’t do anything about the early start to school. It can make sense to keep an early riser up a little longer, while late risers should go to bed earlier to get enough sleep.
• Professional help: If you have real sleep disorders, you should seek professional help. The German Society for Sleep Medicine or a pediatrician will be happy to advise you and refer you to a specialist in your area.