Pediatric Sleep Disorders - Finding Solutions

Just as adults frequently have problems with sleep, children can suffer from pediatric sleep disorders. These conditions range from simple insomnia to more serious problems such as sleep apnea. These disorders are undergoing study with a view to developing solutions. Parents who are inevitably concerned with their child's health and well being, and are faced with a sleep disorder in their child, should familiarize themselves with what is currently known.

Insomnia

Simple insomnia is one of the most common pediatric sleep disorders; most parents know of a child who simply wouldn't go to sleep when put to bed. The director of The Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders in Boston, Dr. Richard Ferber, is an expert on solving insomnia problems. The basics of his method involve slowly adjusting a child's sleep habits until they're more in line with what parents want their child to sleep in, and proper enforcement of a regular sleeping routine in order to make falling asleep a habit. In this manner, treating childhood insomnia is more a matter of gentle adjustment and proper sleep hygiene, certainly one of the easiest pediatric sleep disorders to treat.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is one pediatric sleep disorder that is an increasingly major problem with adults as well. This sleep disorder is caused by a blockage of the air passage, causing breathing to stop in the middle of the night. This can cause snoring, as well as interrupt sleep and cause wakefulness, resulting in poor sleep patterns, as well as cause damage to the heart and lungs if it occurs for a prolonged time. In adults, this is sometimes worsened by obesity, and while that is the case in children as well, it is most often caused by swollen tonsils or adenoids blocking the air passageway.

Sleep apnea is a child sleeping problem that can be treated with surgery Very often a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy will correct the condition. If swollen glands are not the problem, then a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which uses air pressure to keep passageways unblocked, may offer the answer. When faced with sleep apnea or any other pediatric sleep disorders, be certain you speak with your pediatrician before attempting to treat your child yourself. You should refrain from medicating your child except under a physician's supervision.

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