Children's Health: Sleeping Soundly :: Children and Parenting

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Children's Health: Sleeping Soundly
by author Cathy Carlson-Rink, BSc, RM, ND

Are you feeling frustrated with your efforts to settle your children at night? Is your child waking more frequently? Sleeping difficulties in children are one of the most common concerns raised by parents. In a study of 1,000 school age children-43 per cent of children had some type of sleep difficulty.

It is important to understand normal sleep patterns for children. With an infant, sleep patterns are not set by night and day but on empty and full stomachs. At first, because the stomachs are so small (about the size of a walnut), it is unrealistic to expect them to sleep more than two or three hours. Infants have periods of lighter sleep before deep sleep so they need help to learn to relax into sleep. Babies and toddlers have shorter cycles of light and deep sleep so it is not uncommon for them to wake at night. Children often have separation anxiety when they wake and often have difficulty sorting out dreams and reality. Night terrors are also common from ages three to eight. I have found massage, soft touch, and a gentle reassuring voice helpful in getting children back to sleep.

Poor sleep can also be the result of mental, emotional, or physical problems.

Nutritional Issues

Nighttime glucose
Low blood sugar can cause night waking. Adrenaline and cortisol are released to bring the blood sugar level back up. These hormones, also part of the stress response, are very stimulating to the body, resulting in increased waking. My recommendation is eat colourful foods; white is not a colour, so white sugar and flour must be significantly reduced.

Food and environmental allergies
Food allergies can lead to symptoms such as bedwetting, eczema, itchiness, asthma, and digestive complaints all affecting quality of sleep. Those with a cow’s milk allergy show a dramatic improvement in sleep when milk is eliminated from their diet. Food and environmental allergies can also lead to enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which are the most common cause of sleep problems. Symptoms include snoring, restless sleep, and frequent waking.

Nutritional deficiencies
Calcium and magnesium deficiencies have shown to increase night waking. Tryptophan, an amino acid, is a precursor for the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin induces sleep. B6 and magnesium are needed to promote this conversion. Magnesium also helps muscles relax. In addition to increasing calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins in the diet, I recommend a liquid calcium/magnesium preparation at bedtime.

Caffeine
Soft drinks and chocolate are high in caffeine. The stimulant effects of caffeine can keep both adults and children awake.

Other Medical Issues

Acute infections such as ear infections, fever, cold, and flu often disrupt sleep. If your child is usually a good sleeper, look for signs of illness.

Emotional Issues

Nightmares are common when there has been an increase in stress during the daytime. Scary movies and nighttime news have also been linked to sleep difficulties. Night waking in an older child can also be caused by fear of sleeping alone, family upsets, and conflicts with peers or siblings. Bach Flower Rescue Remedy is good for calming frightened children. Sleep disturbances are more common in children with behavioural problems. Sleep problems can also be a sign of depression and anxiety.

There are many gentle and wonderful natural treatments for children to re-establish good sleep when it has been disrupted. Nervines help rebuild and restore the nervous system after long-term stress. They soothe and relax the nervous system without sedation. Examples of these herbs are catnip, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, linden flowers, oats, and passionflower. Lemon balm and chamomile also soothe the digestive tract so I often recommend these when tummy aches are part of the symptom picture. A few drops of the essential oils of these herbs can be added to a warm bath, or used for a back massage. The whole herbs can be ingested as a tea or fill a ‘dream pillow’ with one-half cup each of rosebuds, lavender, and linden flowers. Place the pillow close to the child’s head.

Healthy sleep for children involves teaching them it is a pleasant state by working through their fears. Be flexible and respond to the needs of your child to come up with relevant solutions.

Helpful Suggestions for a Good Night Sleep

Avoid wind-up activities

Avoid stimulating activities such as television, video games.
Discuss family disagreements during the day, so evening emotions due to fatigue don’t escalate.
Avoid stimulating foods, such as white sugar and caffeine.

Provide wind-down activities

A bedtime routine which includes a regular bedtime, brushing teeth, pajamas, quiet stories, and relaxing music.
Vigorous exercise during the day improves the quality of sleep.
Make going to bed a positive time by listing all the great activities awaiting them when they awake and hugs and “I love you’s”.
Favorite blanket or stuffed animal to comfort them.
Back massage with lavender or chamomile essential oil (10 drops) added to one ounce of almond oil.

Cathy Carlson-Rink, BSc, RM, ND, is a licensed Naturopathic Physician and Registered Midwife practicing at the Family Health Clinic in Langley, BC with a focus on women and childrenâ€™s health and pregnancy. She is an instructor of Obstetrics and Pediatrics at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine.

Source: alive #254, December 2003

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