Children’s sleep.

Children also face sleep problems.   What’s fun for me when improving children’s sleep is the opportunity to help them establish healthy sleep that they will benefit from throughout their lives.   I also really enjoy working with the whole family, often everyone’s sleep is improved, though there is just one “patient.”

What kind of sleep problems do children have?

What kind of sleep problems do children have? Children can experience most of the sleep problems that adults do.   This includes sleep apnea, insufficient sleep, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome, among others.   It is important to address these problems as they can affect children’s mood and academic performance.   Look at the 'Services' page to learn more about sleep disorders.

Below are some comments on sleep conditions that are particularly relevant for children.

Insufficient Sleep  -   27% of school aged children do not get enough sleep each night, according to parents who were polled by the National Sleep Foundation in 2004.   This can have a severe negative impact on their mood, ability to pay attention, and cognitive performance in school.   When parents know that their child is not getting enough sleep, sometimes the solution is easy.   Other times it can be difficult to know if problems are the result of insufficient sleep or not.   And it can be difficult to establish a healthy sleep pattern that works for an entire family with its multiple commitments.   At The Institute of Naturopathic Sleep Medicine we specialize in optimizing your child’s sleep so everyone is happy.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders  -   As part of puberty many teens experience a ‘phase delay’ of their body clock, which causes them to get sleepy later at night, and sleep later in the morning.   Unfortunately this intrinsic sleep rhythm does not fit well with typical school start times.   Using light therapy and sleep scheduling techniques, it is possible to shift the intrinsic body clock to allow earlier bedtimes and waketimes.   This is a safe therapy for children and adolescents.   The result is a teen who can be cheerful in the morning and do well in morning classes.