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Sleep Disorders In Children Explained
What's keeping your child from a full night's rest?
When we think of sleep disorders it's typically easiest to envision adults who are having trouble sleeping or something of the sort. However, this leaves out a whole subset of the population who are regularly afflicted with problems in sleep--our children!
Sleep disorders in children are indeed fairly common, and in fact, many sleep disorders even tend to present themselves predominantly in childhood, sometimes before the patient grows out of it later in life.
In Sleep and Dreams, we are fortunate enough to have Dr. Rafael Pelayo, a sleep specialist and pediatric neurologist at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, visit our class for a guest lecture every year. It's really a treat to have an expert on childhood sleep share his knowledge with us, and also to now pass that knowledge on to you.
We'll start with a couple of main points Dr. Pelayo emphasizes about the sleep of children that are absolutely fundamental to understanding sleep disorders in children. From there we'll move on to an overview of the actual disorders themselves.
Tell Us What You Think
Do you have something to say about sleep disorders in children? Do you think your own child may have a sleep disorder? Share your questions, concerns, and thoughts with us and our visitors, or read stories already told by other visitors.
Sleep Is A Learned Behavior
Dr. Rafael Pelayo gives a guest lecture about sleep disorders in children each year in Sleep and Dreams.
One of the main points that Dr. Pelayo provides as foundation for the rest of his lecture each year is that sleep is a learned behavior. While we experience sleep as a biological force that overcomes us at a certain point in our day, how we experience that sleep is very much a construct of learned patterns.
From when we are babies onwards we learn habits of ways to fall asleep and stay asleep at night, some of which can be maladaptive in future years. These habits, though, can be retrained, and this is sometimes a key to promoting healthy sleep in a child, and avoiding certain sleep disorders.
However, not all sleep disorders in children originate from learned habits, and thus not all can be addressed solely through the development of healthy sleep hygiene. Many have to do instead with links to the child's Central Nervous System, an insight that will be elaborated on a little further down the page. First, we need to address a point that every parent should know.
Sleep Impacts Behavior
Mistaking Childhood Sleep Disorders For Attention or Learning Deficits
If one thing is clear about sleep at any age it is that the way we sleep impacts our behavior, which in turn impacts the way we sleep.
What this means is that when children don't obtain sufficient quality sleep, as in the case of a present sleep disorder, it will assuredly show up in other parts of their lives. While sleep deprivation in adults tends to lead straight to fatigue and drowsiness, fatigue in children is often often surfaces in the form of hyperactivity or trouble paying attention.
Unfortunately, these symptoms can easily be misinterpreted and those caring for the child, whether at home, school, or the doctors, can presuppose a learning or attention disorder, such as ADD.
"Your life is a reflection of how you sleep, and how you sleep is a reflection of your life."
- - Dr. Rafael Pelayo
ADD and Sleep Disorders
ADD has convincingly shown to be a mark of sleep apnea, a condition whose effect on children will be elaborated on later. In these cases, an important question to ask is whether or not the sleep apnea is the cause of the ADD, or more so an exacerbating factor.
And indeed this presents itself as a major problem. The children get diagnosed and given medicine, such as Ritalen, which is effective in controling the symptoms. It makes the child more alert, but with the wrong diagnosis and the wrong root cause. Thus, what Ritalen really does in these cases is to serve as a mask of the true issue at hand, giving the child a label as a hyperactive individual when really the problem just lies in how well he or she is sleeping.
The important thing to keep in mind here is that even though the child seems to get better with the medication, that does not mean the right diagnosis has been made.
How To Know If Your Child Is Getting Enough Quality Sleep
"Sleeping makes me tired!"
Dr. Pelayo likes to tell a story of a confident young boy who just couldn't figure out why he kept feeling tired. His mother insisted that he slept a normal amount of time at night, upwards of 9 to 10 hours, which for his age was right on track. At this point the boy chimed in with a telling line: "Doc, sleeping makes me tired!"
Remember Behavior
Always keep in mind, as pointed out in the last section as well, that lack of quality sleep in a child will usually manifest itself in some sort of behavioral problems or abnormalities.
When it comes to your child feeling good the following day, the amount of sleep is not always the issue--it's the quality of sleep. The apparent benefits of 10 hours of sleep in a night will be severely compromised if that sleep is broken up due to some issue during the night.
But how do you know whether your child is getting enough quality sleep? Well, the answer really boils down to one question: Does the child wake up feeling refreshed? If the answer is no, as the boy in the above example let on, there's a good chance a sleep disorder could be compromising the quality of sleep.
Do you think your child is at risk? Share your concerns or questions with us.
Sleep Apnea In Children
The case of the little boy above turned out to be one of obstructive sleep apnea, and indeed OSA is frequently the culprit when a child continues to feel tired even after sleeping for a long time.
The reason for this is quite simple. Sleep apnea is characterized by snoring that leads to a sucking shut of the airway during sleep. When this airway is shut and the sleeper is not breathing, the oxygen saturation throughout the body quickly drops. The apnea can sometimes last a precariously long time until the body can no longer take it, at which point it forces the sleeper awake to take a breath and replace the lost oxygen.
Because the sleeper typically falls asleep only a second or two after the breath begins, these tiny awakenings are not remembered when the individual wakes up in the morning. For this reason, it can feel to a child or adult with sleep apnea that he or she slept continuously throughout the night when in reality he or she woke up dozens, or even hundreds, of times.
In cases of sleep apnea, the quantity of sleep is not the problem--it is the quality of sleep that is disrupted with all of the micro-awakenings. And that translates to the boy above saying that sleeping makes him tired.
Although when we typically think of sleep apnea we associate it as a disorder that adults have, it is rather prevalent in children too. Any parent who has a child that snores to any degree at all must be aware of this fact and the dangers therein.
While sleep apnea in adults is correlated with obesity, the opposite is the case for children. In fact, children with sleep apnea often have difficulty gaining weight, because the growth spurts that would normally take place during the slow wave phases of NREM sleep get disrupted when the child awakens to breathe.
Sleep Apnea Can Lead To Bed Wetting
To make matters more complicated, sleep apnea can also give rise to other sleep disorders that arise as symptoms of the belabored breathing. Bed wetting (or nocturnal enuresis, as it is technically called) is the most common example.
The reason for this is straightforward. The body, as a mechanism to prevent you from having to wake up, makes less urine when you are asleep. With sleep apnea, the frequent arousals confuse this process. Additionally, the struggle to breathe that is characteristic of sleep apnea creates a higher vacuum in the chest, putting pressure on the heart and, interestingly enough, telling the kidney to make more urine.
This connection between sleep apnea in children and bedwetting is an important one to keep in mind. And indeed, this talk of bed wetting provides us with a good segue to explore other parasomnias commonly experienced by children.
Other Parasomnias In Children
Parasomnias
A good way of remembering what paramnias are as they relate to children is to think of them as "things that go bump in the night." From sleep terrors to nightmares and sleepwalking, this is a good, if not 100% accurate pnemonic device.
Parasomnias are a very common type of sleep disorder in children. They comprise problems such as confusional arousals, sleep terrors, sleep talking, sleepwalking, nightmares, and narcolepsy. We'll examine the most common of these below.
Many pararsomnias are linked to a child's central nervous system (CNS), and as a result, children tend to outgrow many of these sleep disorders as their CNS develops with time.
You can learn more about parasomnias in general here. Below we'll cover those specifically from the perspective of children.
Confusional Arousals In Children
If you're a parent there's a decent chance you've witnessed your child wake up, looking a bit confused, maybe crying for a bit, and then drifting right back to sleep. These episodes are known as confusional arousals, and are typically not much of a concern at all.
Sleep Terrors In Children
Confusional arousals can get quite a bit more alarming though when they transform into sleep terrors (also known as night terrors or pavor nocturnus).
During a sleep terror, the child might bolt upright and begin screaming at some unseen fear. Several minutes usually pass before the child can relax and go back to sleep, and they typically have no recollection at all of the event in the morning. This can be extremely distressing as a parent, but like many other parasomnias, sleep terrors are likely to be grown out of as your child's central nervous system develops.
That said, sleep terrors tend to occur with the most frequency between the ages of three and eight, and they are more common when a child is experiencing some sort of stress. Often to help prevent these events, parents attempt to alleviate any stress the child may be experiencing.
Narcolepsy in Children
Narcolepsy is a condition that often begins in the second decade of life, and therefore is apt to be included in any discussion of sleep disorders in children and adolescents. Click here to learn more about narcolepsy and its effects on an individual's life.
A Further Introduction To Childhood Sleep Disorders
Dr. Jim Chamness, of Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, gives a good overview of sleep disorders in children, highlighting some common ones but also giving us a perspective into what pediatricians are looking for when diagnosing childhood sleep disorders.
Your Thoughts On Sleep Disorders In Children
As a parent, your children are the most precious things in your life, and when they have trouble sleeping or show irregular behavior during the day it can be very worrisome. You can share any thoughts, experiences, questions, or concerns you have regarding childhood sleep disorders below.
Not only will we be able to answer your questions or give you feedback, but your insight could aid others who can relate to what you have experienced as well.
Read Other Thoughts On Sleep Disorders In Children
Click on the links below to read thoughts, questions, and experiences on childhood sleep disorders. They were all written by other visitors to this page, just like you.
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My daugher is 2 1/2 years old, ever since I can remember having her she has always had problems sleeping at night. She sleeps through the day perfectly! …
My Son's Snoring And Lack Of Sleep
My son is 2 1/2. He has never been a good sleeper. He was born premature due to preclampsia on my part. He also had colic and a milk allergy. Due to these …
Help, Children Wet The Bed And Don't Sleep Well Through The Night
Hello everyone,
So it is not good to hear all these issues but nice to know I am not alone any more. My daughter that will be 8 has had night terrors …
No Sleep For Me!!
I have a 25 month old daughter who doesn't sleep at night. She goes to bed at a normal time which is about 9ish or so and she usually falls asleep about …
My 10 Year Old Son Has Woken Up At 4am For The Last 2 Years!
My son will be 10 in 3 months and has not slept through the night for 2 years.
2.5 years ago, we moved house, suburb and schools. When he arrived at …
My Daughter's Terrible Sleep Pattern
My 3 year old daughter wakes up around 730 or 800 a.m., she does not take a nap during the day and she usually doesn't go to bed until 1 or 2 a.m.
If …
My Daughter Has Behavior Problems In The Morning
I have a 6-year-old daughter and she has some behavioral problems. One problem that we have is that I have a hard time getting her to sleep good at night …
My 2 Year Old Son's Sleep Terrors
Mine is more of an explanation of what my son does and any help/advice would be greatly appreciated as to why my son is doing this.
My son was born …
My 5 Year Old Daughter Is Scared To Go To Sleep
My 5 year old daughter was always a good sleeper, but recently she started school in august and shortly after I have been having problems putting her to …
3 Year Old Who Wakes Up Tired
My 3.5 year old wakes up tired, is grumpy and bad tempered thoughout the day. He had his tonsils out last December and throughout January he was a different …
Sleep Disorder, Language Development and Panic
My son is two years and 5 months old and he has the following symptoms:
- he falls asleep very late (11:00 PM or later) and wakes up every 2-3 hours …
Grandson's Sleep Experiences and Related Issues
I'm wondering if some of these behaviors are linked. My 3+ year old grandson lives nearby so I get to babysit and observe often. He has the night terrors …
Sleepless Boy, Parents Needing Sleep!
My four year old boy has never been an excellent sleeper. He was up every two hours at night till he was almost one. The absolute latest he will sleep …
My 2-Yr-Old Twin Son Can't Go A Night Without Waking, Other Twin Sleeps Fine
My son has a twin sister. They both just turned 2 this month. My daughter sleeps through the night and has done so since 4-5 months old. My son has …
2 Year Old Reverted To A Sleep Pattern Of An Infant
My 2 year old has recently stopped sleeping through the night. He was never a napper, even as a baby, so no nap is typical. My husband is in the Navy and …
4 Year Old Daughter Awake For Hours Each Night
My nearly four year old daughter has for as long as I can remember woken in the night.
As a baby/toddler it wasn't a problem to us as she was in her …
My 8 Year Old Son's Snoring And Bed Wetting Problems
I have an 8 year old who has enlarged adenoids and enlarged tonsils. He snores very loudly and wakes up frequently at night to change his position or catch …
Our 5 Year Old Daughter Keeps Waking Up In Fits Of Rage And Is Unconsolable
For five nights in a row our daughter has awaken in the middle of the night moaning, yelling and calling out for us (mom and dad). We wait for about 5 …
My Child Falls Asleep Early, Snores Loudly, And Seems To Stop Breathing
Hello. My son is six years old and his father and I worry every night and sometimes stay awake ourselves for hours watching to make sure he keeps breathing. …
My Son Is Anxious About Going To Sleep
My son is 11 and has, over the years, struggled with going to sleep. We have spoken to him recently and he has said he's had a nightmare where he gets …
Our Teenager's Broken Sleep Periods
Our 15 y.o. boy comes home from school and promptly falls asleep almost every day for 3-4 hours in our TV room. Other members of the family may have the …
My 6 Year Old Can't Get To Sleep On His Own
I have a 6 year old son who had his tonsils and adenoids out at age 2. Since then he has slept with his mouth open as he says he has trouble breathing …
My 13 Month Old Son Wakes At Least 5 Times A Night
My son wakes up at least 5 times at night every night. I was thinking that he may have a sleeping disorder before I even looked on any site about it. Can …
My Five Year Old Suffers From Absence Seizures
My son suffers from absence seizures and for the last couple of weeks or so he has been waking up at 2 or 3 in the morning ready to start the day. He doesn't …
My Son Wakes Up Screaming
Hi, my son is 19 months now, when he was a baby he used to go in his cot wide awake at 6.30 and fall asleep by himself and not wake till 7.30 - 8.00am …
Son's Many Potentially Sleep Related Problems
This is a question as to whether or not I should get sleep testing done on my son, or seek a different specialist. My son was diagnosed around age 2 with …
8 Year Old With Headaches Wakes Frequently During The Night
Hello, My name is Giovanna. I have an 8 year old boy. He is being treated for headaches. He has not been to a sleep clinic yet, he has an appointment for …
My Toddler Son Cries At The Same Time During Every Nap
My Son is now 3 and a half. We have always practiced a sleep schedule and he has done very well since birth. We've never had night sleeping issues and …
5 Year Old Daughter Is Always Tired and Whiny, Won't Nap
I am at a loss as to how to help our daughter. She has never been a good sleeper. She was a refluxer as a baby, and we were not able to sleep train her …
My Son Is Falling Asleep Throughout The Day In School And Home
For the past 3-4 months my son had randomly fell asleep during the day. He's 6. I have mentioned it to the doctors but they didn't seem too concerned. …
My Daughter Wakes Up Several Times
I'm very concerned for my daughter and her sleeping habits. She is four years old and for several monthes to over a year she is not getting the sleep …
3 Year Old Is Chronically Overtired
I have a 3 year old daughter who has been fighting sleep since birth. Her two main issues are calming her body down to fall asleep and waking too early …
It Can Take My 3 Year Old Up To 2 Hours To Fall Asleep
My 3 year old son has difficulty falling asleep. It can take him anywhere from 1-2 hours to sleep. He often tells me "I don't know how to go to sleep" …
My 6 Year Old Son Can't Get To Sleep
My 6 year old is struggling to fall asleep night after night. The school nurse suggested putting him to bed earlier (7pm) and making sure that he has calm …
4-Year-Old Daughter Wakes In The Middle Of The Night Wide Awake For Several Hours
My 4-year-old daughter has never been a good sleeper. Her latest quirk - almost every night she wakes up in the middle of the night wide awake not sleepy …
My Son Was Previously A Good Sleeper...Until A Bad Dream
My 6 1/2 year old son has always been the one to want to be alone in his room without lights or other people, so he could sleep soundly in the dark.
…
My 5 Year Old Autistic Son Never Sleeps Through The Night...
My son who is autistic with many more medical problems sleeps maybe 1 to 2 hours a night. He bolts awake screaming and I seem to startle him sometimes …
My Child Can't Fall Asleep
My daughter is nearly 8. She is a highly strung child at the best of times and can't fall asleep. We use the usual bedtime routine, teeth, reading etc …
My Son Doesn't Sleep, Diagnosed With ADHD and Nocturnal Seizures
My son has been diagnosed with ADHD and nocturnal seizures. He is taking Focalin XR for the ADHD and Lamictal for the nocturnal seizures. The Lamictal …
My Son Wakes Up Shivering Violently
My 6-year old son occasionally wakes up and comes to me shaking violently. He tells me that he's freezing, but his body feels warm. There's no crying or …
My Troubles With Sleeping
Im about to turn 12 in just a couple of months and I've tried everything from asking my parents to lay down with me or just simply searching on google …
My Teenage Daughter, 13, Has Trouble Sleeping Alone
My daughter shares a room with her sister but i still have to stay in their room until she's asleep. She can wake up several times calling out for me throughout …
My 4 Yr Old Is Not Settling At Night!
My 4 yr old has never been able to sleep through the night. When she was born I was told to keep her close to me to keep her warm but every time I put …
The Later I Put My 5yr Old To Bed The Earlier She Wakes...
For most of our daughter's life, the earlier I put her to bed, the later she would sleep. Her pediatrician suggested putting her to bed later each day …
My Three Year Old Has Never Slept Well, Everyone Wakes Up Exhausted
When our son was a baby, he had to be held and walked around every night in order to fall asleep. He might have had some colic or gastrointenstinal issues, …
2 Year Old With Odd Sleep Habits, Hyper Until After Midnight
Hi my 2 year old breastfed until the day he turned 2, he has recently started this weird hyper activeness almost to a jittery if you will behavior at night …
My 4 Year Old Daughter Doesn't Sleep At Night, Just Plays
My four year old daughter doesn't have a problem falling asleep, it's just getting her to stay asleep. She is up all night wandering the house. I put a …
Granddaughter Cries During Sleep - Has Continued Now For 4 Years
I have a grandaughter (Kylie) who is now 6. When she stayed with us at 2 years old she would start crying and shaking in her sleep. At one point we thought …
Waking In The Night, Screaming
Our toddler almost 3 years old has for his entire life awoken in the night and screamed. This has occurred nearly every night of his life.
In the beginning …
My 7 Year Old Daughter's Sleepless Nights
My 7 year old daughter does not have good sleeping habits. She is just like her mother. I am concerned however, because my wife is expecting, and with …
My Son's Night Terrors And Sleepwalking!
In the day time my son is the most amazingly happy and intelligent little boy, but for about 8 months my son has been waking up in the night screaming. …
My Son Has Horrible Dreams and Doesn't Know Why He Gets Them
My son has recently told me he has terrible nightmares about fire and explosions. I don't let him watch any adult television but he does watch Ben 10 …
My Son's Seizures Right Before Falling Asleep
My son was 2 when I noticed his 1st "seizure" right before falling aspleep during a car ride. I have recorded his episodes and took the recording to show …
My Daughter Wakes Often During The Night, But Her Twin Sleeps Fine
My daughter wakes from 2 to 5 times during the night. She says that she needs to go to the the toilet. Even though she does she is always wide awake and …
My Daughter's Disturbed Sleep
My daughter is one year and four months old. I believe she has had more nights of disturbed sleep than normal sleep in her life thus far. From bacterial/viral …
My Son Is A Terror With A Temper When He Gets Tired
My son will be two on November 30th and we have been getting woken up by him for about 6 months now every night. He wakes up yelling and crying while he …
My Son Sleeps Little and Has Frequent Upset Awakenings at 14 mo.
My son is 14 months and often sleeps less at night than a new born. We have tried every method we can get our hands on to help him get more sleep. After …
My Son Cannot Resettle Himself
My son is 4 years old and has a long term physical disability and severe learning difficulties. He suffers from chronic upper airway obstruction and hypotonia, …
My 5 Year Old Son Has Very Restless Sleep - Talking, Moving
My son has been seeing a therapist for some of his behavior he is showing. Ever since he was a baby he had very restless nights. Now that he is 5 years …
My 14 Month Old Baby Won't Sleep
Due to the economic crisis my husband and I have moved in to my in-laws home during my pregnancy. This results in my 14 month old daughter sharing a room …
My Daughter's Repeated Wakings
My 3.5 year old daughter has been having extreme difficulty falling and staying asleep. My husband and I both have histories of insomnia that have both …
My Son's Intermittent Sleep Pattern Is Driving Me Nuts...
Myself and my partner have a 3 year old who is constantly waking throught the night, not one or two nights but every night of the week...
During the …
Bedwetting - My 8 Year Old Son Has Never Been Dry At Night
Please help! My son is 8 and has never been able to control his bladder while asleep. He is a deep sleeper. He does not snore, so I am pretty sure he …
My 1.5 Year Old Baby Wakes Up To 5 Times A Night
Please help!
My one and a half year old wakes up all the time at night - we have not had a decent night with him since he was born.
Sometimes for …
My 5yr Old Son Has Daytime Behavioral Issues, Especially When He Does Not Get A Nap
My 5yr old son has always been a good sleeper and a deep sleeper. Around the ages of 1-2 he would have spurts of night terrors in which we tried rearranging …
My 8 Year Old Daughter's Nightly Visits To Our Room
My daughter for the past two months has waking up every single night at about 3am. She would call out for me saying she had a bad dream. I would usually …
3 Year Old Wakes Up 3 Times A Night Screaming, Every Night
My daughter has woken up screaming every night 3 times a night at 8:30, 12, and 4am for over a year. I am EXHAUSTED!!!
I take her back to bed, tuck …
Sleep Problems or ADHD?
My 6 year old son falls asleep easily at night, but is very difficult to wake in the morning. He averages over 10 hours of sleep at night, but often is …
9-Year-Old Daughter Can't Get Over Her Bad Dream
My 9 year old daughter had a dream that her Dad made her touch him "down there". Of course in my line of work I know I needed to rule out if it could have …
My Son Snores, Bed Wets, and Has Difficulty Sleeping
My son who is 12 has always snored and still bed wets some nghts. About a year ago I noticed that his chest is dipping when he breaths in becuase he is …
My Six Year Old Daughter Wakes Up Every Night And Won't Go Back To Sleep...Help!
My six year old daughter is a very emotional and sensitive little girl. She used to fall asleep and sleep all night every night until about six months …
My 8-Year-Old Son Was Diagnosed With Sleep Apnea At 2
My 8 yr. old son was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea at 2. Doctor did T&A at that time. He cannot relax to go to sleep at night, wets the bed if we don't monitor …
My 8 Year Old Wakes Up Sobbing!
Hello All,
First of all let me just say that I have twin 8 year old daughters. My girls never had trouble sleeping when they were babies. Then at …
My Son Wakes Up No Less Than 10 Times A Night
My son is 3 and a half and sleeps like he did as an infant. He has never slept well through the night and just recently he has gone from waking up anywhere …
10 Year Old Son Can't Get To Sleep, Wakes Unrested And Tired
Since he was little he has had problems falling asleep. He is very bright and reads for hours. We use to let him read before bedtime hoping it would make …
My Son Won't Fall Asleep
My son is 8 years old and has ALWAYS had a difficult time falling asleep. We have a consistent bedtime routine where we bath, brush teeth, read, etc. We …
My Baby Has Never Slept For More Than 2 Hours At A Time
My son is 1 year old, and has never slept for more than 2 hours at a time. I'm constantly up all throughout the night, he has his dinner and plays and …
Daughter Has Obstructive Sleep Apnea, CPAP Machine Seems To Make It Worse
Hi my daughter is 5 she has been to sleep studies and it showed she has suspected Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. I have all of the stats …
My 3 Year Old Child Wakes ME Up Every 2 Hours
I always thought that she would just magically outgrow her sleep problems as a baby. Then she became a toddler and she still had problems, so I began thinking …
Two-and-a-half-year-old Daughter Who Wakes Screaming
My two and a half year old daughter wakes screaming and yelling (always) 'leave me alone' and is wide awake afterwards. She then sounds like she is laughing …
How Do You Know If A 1 Year Old Is Getting Too Much Sleep?
I have concerns about a 1 year old little girl in my care at my daycare. I am cocerned that she may be getting too much sleep.
She will sleep for 10-12 …
Out Of Control 11 Year Old Son, With Abnormal Sleep
My 11 year old son has always had trouble sleeping. We let him cry himself to sleep when he was a baby and that seemed to work really great.
He disliked …
Daughter, Now 21 Months, Does Not Sleep Through The Night
We are desperate for any answers of why our child will fight sleep for hours at bedtime and then very, VERY rarely sleeps through the night.
This has …
5 Year Old Sleeps For 15 Hours Per Night
I am looking for advice. I have an active 5 year old who is at school. He has always been a good sleeper (sleeping 12 hours per night and has to be woken …
My Son's Sleep Refusal
My seven year old son has never been a good sleeper but things have really escalated over the last few weeks. As a baby he was very colicky and I used …
Daughter Goes To Sleep Fine, But Awakes Often Through The Night.
My daughter is 3 and a half. She goes to bed fine in her room and bed by herself at about 8:00pm but within 1-2 hours has awoken and come into our room. …
My Daughter's Restless Nights, Struggling To Get Enough Air
My 5 year old daughter is having problems resting at night. I've noticed that she will be in a deep sleep and all at once start gasping for air. She is …
My Son's Sleep Disorder - HELP
My 8 year old boy never have a single day of restful quality sleep. This is making me very worried and tired. On good nights, he will still wake up 2 times …
My Daughter's Broken Sleep
My 8-year-old daughter has suffered with broken sleep for over a year. She goes off to sleep fine but wakes many times each night and sometimes it takes …
Sleep And Behavior
My first son (9 years old) has been sleeping about 10 hours (per night) for years. When he went to school at 6 his behaviour got worse; he is more aggressive, …
Son and Bedwetting
My son is 8 1/2 and he has always wet the bed at night. Only one time he didn't do it for about four days straight, but that was the only time. It is …
My Four-Year-Old Son's Sleep Disorder
My four-year-old son started having sleep disturbances about 3 months ago. He woke up screaming saying bugs were all over the floor and on him biting him. …
My Daughter's Sleep Deprivation And Destructive Behavior
My daughter is 5 years old, but the problem started when she was 4. She does not sleep at night, and gets into everything. She has totally emptied out …
My daughter is too scared to fall asleep
My daughter is 10 years old and in the last 6 months she has become too scared to fall asleep and says that she is scared but can't tell me what she is …
Baby Is An Extremely Light Sleeper
It seems that my 10 week old baby wakes to every noise during the day when I put her down for naps. At night, she seems to be able to sleep through most …
My 6-Year-Old Daughter Has Insomnia
My daughter has been a poor sleeper since she was born. As a baby, she would not sleep for longer than 20 minutes most days. She would wake every 2 hours …
My Daughter's Sleep Disturbances
My daughter is 5 years old and is not sleeping restfully therefore is very tired all the time and is very naughty because of it. She has had a problem …
3 Year-Old's Difficulty Transitioning From Wake to Sleep And Sleep to Wake When Very Tired or Overstimulated
My 3 year-old son has never been a "great" sleeper, but I have managed to keep his sleep time within the realm of what children his age should be getting. …
My 7 Year Old Daughter Can Not Stay Asleep At Night
For years my daughter has struggled with staying asleep, which I take full responsibility for. As a single parent for her first three years I would always …
My Son Only Sleeps On Average 1 1/2-2 Hours In Blocks
Hello,
My son is 5 1/2 and I can't count on one hand how many nights he's been able to sleep through the night. He has several allergies which makes …
Baby Boy Doesn't Sleep At All And Screams Through Whole Night
My best friend's baby boy rarely sleeps at night. It only started about 5 months ago. He only turned 1 this month. She never gets a good nights rest. …
My Daughter's Sleep Issues Then Behavior Issues
My daughter is 6yr. Ever since i can remember she doesn't like to sleep. Falling asleep is the main issue, but she often wakes up, mutiple times in the …
Granddaughter's Sleep Disorder?
My 4 year old granddaughter has had 3 episodes of waking but not being able to fully wake, urinating, eyes rolling back and very dilated, and not being …
8 Month Old Doesn't Sleep...
My eight month old has a lot of trouble sleeping. I chart his sleep, and it comes out to about 6 hours a day. He rarely sleeps more than 15 minutes at …
Sleep Terrors In My 7-Year-Old Daughter
My daughter is 7 years old. For the last 2 weeks she has been waking up with night terrors . She leaps up crying and sweating, teeth chattering and asking …
My Daughter's Insomina - Can't Fall Asleep By Herself
I have a 10 year old daughter that was diagnosed with Idiopathic Insomnia when she was 6. She has great trouble falling sleep at night and wakes up quite …
My Daughter Cannot Sleep Alone, She Is Now 13
My daughter has such anxiety about sleeping alone, she panics every time we "make" her sleep by herself. When she finally falls asleep with someone lying …
My 5 year old son wakes up at night shaking
I'm really puzzled by his sleep disorder, the first times he woke up throwing up and shaking, now he just wakes up and he heaves and moans shaking like …
My 7 Year Old Moans All Night
Hi there, My 7 yr old has bad or "scary" dreams every night within the first hour of sleep. He is often distressed, crying and irrational but can be consoled …
My Child, Since Birth, Has Never Slept Through The Night
My child, since birth, has never slept through the night and still at 2 and a half takes almost 2 hours to fall asleep every single night.
I would like …
My Son's Sleep Problems, With ADHD
My son who is now 9 has always had a hard time getting to sleep, since he could walk we would find him sleeping in several different places every night. …
7 Years Old Little Girl
My daughter sleepwalks and has night terror since she was a baby. She worths now she does bothes, now she doesn't want room and sleeps with me and now …
My two year old daughter wakes up every night laughing and rocking....
My daughter is two and a half years old and just recently we weaned her off of her pacifier. Ever since then she will wake up every night normally around …
My Son's Constant Awakenings and Aggressive Behavior
My son is 7 years old and ever since I can remember, he has had difficulty falling asleep. He always asks my husband and I to lay with him to go to sleep …
My Son Claims That He Has Nightmares - What To Do
This began 2 years ago, after we transitioned him to a toddler bed. At first, he would walk to our room and wake me up to ask for juice or water. I then …
6 Year Old Wakes Up Between 4 & 5:30am EVERY DAY - Normal?
Hello,
My 6 year old son is a very bright and active child. However, he has struggled with sleep since he was an infant, and now at the age of 6, he …
My Three-Year-Old Son Has Never Slept Through The Night
My son has always been a light sleeper and has always woken up at least 2-4 times a night. He is three years old. As a result of his lack of sleep he is …
SIx-Plus Years Of Sleep Apnea And Surgeries
My son has had sleep apnea since 3 months old. He has had five surgeries on adenoids that keep growing back. The most recent ENT we saw a few months ago …
My Son's Mild Sleep Apnea
My son had a sleep study that showed 16 episodes in one hour. After removing his tonsil & adenoids and a new sleep study, we are down to 2-5 episodes an …
My Son Can't Sleep Through The Night
My husband and I are having a hard time with our 21 month old. He had a traumatic birth but has been healthy since then with the exception of sleep. Even …
All Nighters For My 7-Year-Old Child
Hello, hope you are well. My child every couple of weeks will have one to two all nighters where he can't sleep and sometimes acts very hyper. There was …
My Daughter's Inability to Sleep Through the Night
I truly appreciate reading about other families' experiences on this site to simply know we are not alone. Our daughter, now nearly 8 yrs. old, is still …
My Son's Sleep Problem Sent Him To The Hospital
My 7 year old son talks, screams, and sits up in his sleep. Last week in the middle of the night he fell into the wood frame on his bed and was rushed …
My Son's Sleeping At School Problems
I have a 7 year old son, who for years now, just will not go to sleep at bedtime. He finds it extremely hard to even stay still, let alone relax in his …
My Child Simply Will Not Sleep!!
My son who just turned 4 was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. He refuses to sleep! It takes several hours for him to settle down enough to go to …
Last One Asleep, First One Awake
My 5yr old son is so "wired" at bedtime and can't seem to relax enough to fall asleep until nearly midnight every night. My husband and I are exhausted …
My Daughter's Nightime Distress
I am trying to determine if my 5-year-old is having night terrors or some other middle of the night issue. Her problem is similar to what I have read about …
My Son's Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
My son is seven years old. He has difficulty falling asleep at night and gets very "wound up" at bed time. We have tried being very consistent with bedtime …
My Daughter Doesn't Sleep
My 5-year-old daughter has been having sleep issues since the day she was born. I accredit part of her difficulty sleeping to the fact that she was in …
My Daughter Snores Loudly
Not only does she snore loudly though, she also sometimes stops breathing for a second.
I'm worried. What should I do? Kevin's Answer Hi there, I'm …
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About This Site
Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.
We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.
In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?
Interviews With Sleep Specialists: Insights Into the Worlds of Sleep Medicine & Sleep Business
America's Most Dangerous Disorder: What Is Sleep Apnea Doing To Your Sleep?
Sleep Debt: How Much More Will You Achieve When You Reduce Yours?
The Stages Of Sleep: The Journey Through The Night
Delayed Sleep Phase: You Want To Sleep But You're Not Tired Yet
Paralyzed at Night: Is Sleep Paralysis Normal?
Sleep In Words: Smart, Strange, and Funny Quotes About Sleep
Sleep Disorders In Children: What's Keeping Your Child From A Full Night's Rest?
Attacks of Pavor Nocturnus (a.k.a. Sleep Terrors, Night Terrors, or Incubus Attacks)
The Stanford Sleep Book
Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.
In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.
Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy
More Sleep Resources
The Zeo
A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.
Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide
Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.
Important Disclaimer
Please Note:
The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.
For more info, see our
Terms of Use.