Will an iron supplement help my restless sleeper? Many parents describe their children as “restless sleepers” or that their child is “difficult to settle down.” These same children may be overly active during the day or have behavioral outbursts. Others may be sleepier than usual. Children [...]
Should I worry about his sleep during the coronavirus pandemic? Worry is a normal reaction in response to an adverse experience such as now. Excessive worrying, though, becomes a problem when it interferes with normal daily living. Admittedly, it can be tough to tell the difference between when the [...]
How might the coronavirus pandemic schedule affect my older child’s or teen’s sleep? Since the beginning of social and physical distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the daily habits of children have changed considerably in many parts of the world. In particular, those daily [...]
My child has seizures. How can I be sure he is safe while he is sleeping? There are types of seizures that occur only or primarily during sleep. These types of seizures at night are no more dangerous than seizures during the day, and they usually resolve on their own without any problem. [...]
Will sleeping on her back cause a flat spot on my baby’s head? The Back to Sleep campaign (the recommendation to put a baby to sleep on her back when sleeping) to prevent SIDS leads to the possibility that an infant could develop a flat spot on her head. A baby’s skull is soft and the bones [...]
Are some children better sleepers than others? Yes – definitely. Individual differences certainly matter. A common experience of parents who have more than one child is that every child is different. This is true in several areas and sleep is not an exception. Some children are deep sleepers, [...]
Is my child asleep or awake when he is having a sleep terror – and how long do they usually last? Sleep terrors occur during deep sleep and usually involve seemingly persistent fear or terror, screaming, sweating, confusion, and tachycardia (increased heart rate), tachypnea (increased breathing [...]
When can I stop worrying about SIDS? Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation. Babies are most at risk for SIDS is between 1 and 4 months of age and 90% of cases occur before the age of 6 [...]
What is restless legs syndrome (RLS)? Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is an uncomfortable feeling in the legs, usually in the evening or night, that is relieved by movement. RLS can make it hard for a child to fall asleep at bedtime or to fall back to sleep during the night. Formally, RLS is defined [...]
My little one kicks his legs a lot when he is sleeping, and sometimes it wakes him up. What should I do? First of all, young children are often restless sleepers. There are some situations, though, in which it is something more. There is a sleep disorder called Periodic Limb Movement Disorder [...]