Insomnia in children can be frustrating for parents to deal with, but the first thing to realize is that the condition is not hopeless. According to a recent children insomnia study, the benefits of establishing a regular sleep routine may be numerous.

Establishing a routine for infants and toddlers has been the recommended course of action for many years. But, a clinical trial assessing the benefits to the child’s quality of sleep and the mother’s mood had never been assessed. Researchers found that both improved.

Why children got insomnia?

Insomnia in children over the age of 5 or 6 may be due to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or the medications used to treat it. Trouble sleeping can also be caused by health problems. Any child that suffers from it should have a routine physical examination.

Regardless of the child’s age, if the problem is severe, it is important to consult your doctor and keep going back until the problem is resolved. See a specialist if necessary. Ask if the doctors are familiar with the most recent children insomnia studies and cases.

A recent one made the news. After years of suffering from sleep deprivation, a small tumor on a gland in the child’s brain was finally discovered. For the first time since he was born, he has been able to sleep through the night.
 

More common children insomnia causes include stress in the home or stimulants in the child’s diet. Mothers that are breast-feeding should be careful to avoid sugar and caffeinated beverages. Those can be passed along to the baby with the breast milk.

How to treat insomnia in children

When our babies are young, we are often very careful about what we feed them. As they get older, we may become less careful. Too much sugar is a common cause of insomnia in children.

Doling out those treats can also lead to obesity, which has been identified as a cause of sleep problems in several children insomnia studies. It causes problems for adults, too.

Caffeine is a drug that does not belong in a child’s diet. Most adults would be better off if they avoided it too. 500mg or more per day can cause sleep problems and anxiety in adults. It takes far less than that to keep a kid awake all night.

In some cases, behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment. A recent study showed that the therapy was more effective than medications for insomnia in children. It may be the cure you’re looking for.