Top 3 Sleep Tips for Children & Teens | Insomnia

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So one of the best tips to help children and teenagers fall
asleep at night is to avoid electronic use starting an hour before their
bedtime. Now this includes avoidance of electronics, such as TV, the
computer, and the phone. Light from these devices can suppress melatonin
levels, and melatonin is a hormone which will help with sleep onset.

If you’re using the computer, or you’re watching TV, you become engaged
with what you’re doing, and that will cause you to become stimulated which
makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Now you also want to have your child and teenager evaluated for any primary
sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea where you’re not breathing
well while you’re asleep, so your brain senses that and keeps waking you
up. This, in turn, causes sleep deprivation and sleep fragmentation.

You can also have restless leg syndrome where you have an uncomfortable
feeling in your legs, and you need to constantly move around to help you
sleep better at night. There are also circadian disorders, such as delayed
sleep syndrome in which your circadian rhythm is offset, and you have a
tendency to want to sleep later and wake up later. Now unfortunately, you
can’t wake up late because you have school.

You also want to have your child evaluated for any possible medical
disorders. In addition to primary sleep disorders, that can be contributing
to sleep problems at night.