Children with sleeping disorder?

Question

My daughter is almost 3 years old. To this day she has never slept an entire night!!!! She doesn't seem to be having nightmares or anything, but I thought that by now she would sleep through the night or at least only wake up like once. She wakes up between 5 and 7 times a night, whether it's for a drink, to go potty, or to get in my bed (which is a WHOLE OTHER SUBJECT!!! lol) She goes to the doctors tonight and I am going to bring this up to him. I was just wondering if any of you have had the same problem with your children??? Also my daughter is VERY controversial, she back talks and just has this "attitude" that a 3 year should not have!!! I'm wondering if this could be from not getting proper rest?

I thought I might add that she slept better as an infant than she does now!

Forgot to mention that she DOES NOT nap during the day either. She is quite wired the entire day...she does not "slow down" when she's tired it's like an instant turn around!!! She will get very cranky and cry for a period of time before going to sleep. I try to get her in bed / settled between 7:30 and 8:00pm .

Answer 1

This is a complex problem, and I don't have the solution, but I do have a few suggestions for things to explore and discuss with her Dr. First - look at her bedroom environment -- is it calm and relaxing or full of bright colors and stimulating objects? Next, is she getting plenty of physical activity during the day? Kids need to run and play, jump and hop and roll around on the floor. If she is engaged in mostly quiet activities all day, she may not be tired enough to get good sleep. Next, do you follow a bedtime routing to prepare her for sleep? This routine might start with a bath after dinner, getting into pjs, dimming the lights and reading a story (or 2 or 3) to her, brushing teeth and tucking in. The entire routine may take 30 minutes or more than an hour, but it is well worth it to help a restless child (and her mommy!) get a good night's rest.

Finally, examine her diet. Perhaps there is a food sensitivity, or a timing of snack that needs to be adjusted. Food sensitivities can display themselves in bad attitude, poor sleep, a skin rash, a tummy ache, or lots of other symptoms. Bring it up with the Dr. and if he cannot help you, consult a dietitian.

Answer 2

yes, the attitude can be from lack of sleep. speak with your doctor about this and make sure that you are being the parent and making your child do as you say, not letting her manipulate you. My youngest of 3 is a manipulator and they are very intelligent, you don't realise how good they are at getting what they want instead of doing what you the parent says. Rewards and consequences usually work well for 3 year olds if you can figure out which rewards really rock, and which consequences really get her attention...she is probably too young for most doctors to look at seriously for hyperactivity, however, does she snore, have unusually large tonsils or adnoids? In the childcare center that I direct, I have seen "miraculous" changes in behavior in preschoolers who are not sleeping well due to some physical issue that when diagnosed and corrected, become the student at the top of the class...could be anything, just rule things out one at a time...could she have food allergies, like do you notice more attitude when she has a certain diet?

Answer 3

My son who is four-and-a-half does not sleep well either. Turns out that is a symptom of Early Onset Bipolar Disorder. He has always had severe behavior problems. They give him Clonidine at night to help him sleep...he still does not sleep all night most nights, but he does sleep much better. As far as the attitude, it is probably age related.

Answer 4

Hi. I also have a 3 year old son, and for sometime now he has been waking up at night stumpping his feet, crying like he's so irratated. He wakes up at around 12mn, 1am and 3am. I was asking what's wrong but he doesnt answer. What I usually do is wake him up just in case he was dreaming and soothe him by assuring that mommy's just beside him and i will just hug and rub his back till he goes to sleep. My pediatrician told me to lessen stimulant before he goes to sleep, like TV shows that are so active and full of action, no crying before going to sleep or even scolding. I tried that for a couple of days and it did work. Now, no more TV atleast an hour to bed, but I try to read him books before he sleeps. And contrary to what I read in one of the answers given here, I believe a warm milk before bedtime is a good stimulant to sleep. I have a 5yr old and a 3yr old who drinks milk (on a glass) before going to bed and they have a very healthy set of teeth. They do brush their teeth after meals and I don't give them much candies and choclates... just an advise... hope i was a help. :) Oh also, try talking to her and explain in a simple way not to back talk... don't under estimate kids, they can really understand and remember if only we tell them properly... Me? I try not to lie to my 2 sons even if they won't like my reply...I just always find ways to explain to them. :)

Answer 5

you might wonder y im answering you question, but im 17 and still get up 5-10 times a night....some people are just night owls... we dont like to sleep, and esoecially not at night...it is kinda a brain thing...her brain might go completely crazy when she lays down, like thinking bout wat happened that day and what she wants to do the next day...which will cause her to fall asleep and wake up several times...

Answer 6

What are the problems that can come up with kids' sleep?
Sleep deprivation: Not getting enough sleep can lead to serious problems for your child and is all too common in our society.
Night waking: All children have times at night when they sleep more lightly or wake up. Night waking can become a problem when it is very frequent or when your child has trouble getting back to sleep.
Sleep onset associations: This is the most common cause of children not being able to settle back to sleep. Whatever they associate with falling asleep, like being rocked or a sucking a pacifier needs to be present for them to fall back to sleep.
Separation issues: Separation problems can affect either you or your child. Your child may feel anxious if you are not there, and so is unable to relax and sleep. Likewise, you may feel anxious about your child, and go in to them every time they make a peep at night, even if they don’t need you.
Resistance to sleep/settling problems: This is when your child does not want to go to bed at night. They throw a tantrum, or stall, and just refuse to go to sleep.
Parasomnias: These are disruptive sleep-related problems. They are usually not anything serious. They include things like teeth grinding and night terrors.

How can I tell if my child is sleep deprived? How much sleep do kids need?
This chart shows you some averages. It will give you an idea of the ballpark you should be aiming for, depending on your child’s age. Some kids will need more or less sleep, and differ in how they nap.

Age
Nighttime Sleep

(hours)
Daytime Sleep

(hours)
Total Sleep

(hours)

1 month
8.5 (many naps)
7.5 (many naps)
16

3 months
6-10
5-9
15

6 months
10-12
3-4.5
14.5

9 months
11
3 (2 naps)
14

12 months
11
2.5 (2 naps)
13.5

18 months
11
2.5 (1-2 naps)
13.5

2 years
11
2 (1 nap)
13

3 years
10.5
1.5 (1 nap)
12

4 years
11.5
0
11.5

5 years
11
0
11

6 years
10.5-11
0
10.5-11

7 years
10.5
0
10.5

8 years
10-10.5
0
10-10.5

9 years
10
0
10

10 years
9.5-10
0
9.5-10

11 years
9.5
0
9.5

12-13 years
9-9.5
0
9-9.5

14 years
9
0
9

15 years
8.5-9
0
8.5-9

16 years
8.5
0
8.5


Different people need different amounts of sleep. Remember that charts that list the average amount of sleep for each age group are just that—averages. These are not magic numbers. The best way to tell if your child is getting enough sleep is to look at how they act while they are awake. Here are some things to consider about how much sleep is enough.

If your child’s poor sleep is causing daytime problems, then they are sleep deprived.

Ask yourself these questions:

Does your child fall asleep in the car almost every time you drive with them?
Do you have to wake your child up almost every morning?
Does your child seem overtired, cranky, irritable, aggressive, over-emotional, hyperactive, or have trouble thinking during the day?
On some nights, does your child “crash” much earlier than their usual bedtime?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, your child may be sleep deprived (not getting enough sleep). We live in a very sleep deprived society. Sleep deprived children (and adults) have more trouble controlling their emotions. The part of the brain that helps us to control our actions and our response to feelings is affected greatly by lack of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can lead to all kinds of problems, such as behavior problems, attention problems, and not doing well in school [5]. Kids who don't get enough sleep are also more apt to hurt themselves {6] [7] .
Sleep problems are some of the most common problems parents face with their kids. You may wonder about how to get your child to sleep through the night. Maybe you have a new baby and want to learn how to help them develop good sleep habits that will last a lifetime. Some children may have chronic sleep difficulties, and many children (like most adults!) are actually going through their days sleep-deprived. Read on for information on all these issues and more, and for lots of links to even more resources to help your kids (and you) get a better night’s sleep.
DO:

Make bedtime a special time. It should be a time for you to interact with your child in a way that is secure and loving, yet firm. At bedtime, spend some special time with your child. Be firm and go through a certain bedtime routine that your child is used to. At the end of that routine the lights go off and it is time to fall asleep.
Put some thought into finding your child’s ideal bedtime. In the evening, look for the time when your child really is starting to slow down and getting physically tired. That's the time that they should be going to sleep, so get their bedtime routine done and get them into bed before that time. If you wait beyond that time, then your child tends to get a second wind. At that point they will become more difficult to handle, and will have a harder time falling asleep.
Keep to a regular daily routine—the same waking time, meal times, nap time and play times will help your baby to feel secure and comfortable, and help with a smooth bedtime. Babies and children like to know what to expect.
Use a simple, regular bedtime routine. It should not last too long and should take place primarily in the room where the child will sleep. It may include a few simple, quiet activities, such as a light snack, bath, cuddling, saying goodnight, and a story or lullaby. The kinds of activities in the routine will depend on the child’s age.
Make sure the sleep routines you use can be used anywhere, so you can help your baby get to sleep wherever you may be.
Some babies are soothed by the sound of a vaporizer or fan running. This "white noise" not only blocks out the distraction of other sounds, it also simulates the sounds babies hear in the womb. Small, portable white noise machines with a variety of different sounds are now available.
Make sure your kids have interesting and varied activities during the day, including physical activity and fresh air.
Use light to your advantage. Keep lights dim in the evening as bedtime approaches. In the morning, get your child into bright light, and, if possible, take them outside. Light helps signal the brain into the right sleep-wake cycle.
DON’T:

Never soothe your child to sleep by putting them to bed with a bottle of juice, milk or formula. Water is okay. Anything other than water in the bottle can cause baby bottle tooth decay. Feed or nurse your baby, and then put them down to sleep.
Don’t start giving solids before about 6 months of age. Starting solid food sooner will not help your baby sleep though the night. In fact, if you give your baby solids before their system can digest them, they may sleep worse because they have a tummy ache! The American Academy of Pediatrics says that breast milk or formula is all a baby needs to eat until six months of age. (See Feeding Your Baby and Toddler on YourChild for more on starting solids.) Contrary to popular belief, a heavier baby or a baby with a stuffed-full tummy is not more likely to sleep through the night.
Don’t fill up your child’s bed with toys. It’s probably best to keep your child’s bed a place to sleep, rather than a place to play. Too many toys in the bed can be distracting. One or two transitional objects--like a favorite doll, a security blanket, or a special book--are okay, and can help with separation issues. Babies under 4-6 months should have an empty crib to prevent suffocation. (See YourChild: Safe Sleep for more on bedtime safety guidelines.)
Never use sending your child to bed as a threat. Bedtime needs to be a secure, loving time, not a punishment. Your goal is to teach your kids that bedtime is enjoyable, just as it is for us adults. If the feeling around bedtime is a good feeling, your child will fall asleep easier.
Don’t give your child foods and drinks with caffeine in them, like hot chocolate, tea, cola, chocolate, etc. Even caffeine earlier in the day could disrupt your child’s sleep cycle.
Don't let your child watch more than one to two hours of TV during the day, and don't let them watch TV at bedtime at all. TV viewing at bedtime has been linked to poor sleep.
If your child has a TV set in their bedroom, remove it. Research shows watching TV is linked to sleep problems [2] [3] , especially if the TV set is in the child’s bedroom. The presence of other media, such as a computer, video games or Internet in a kid’s bedroom is also associated