Sleeping - part one (28 May 2010)

Difficulties in sleeping are not uncommon in either children or adults. Adopted children can have additional difficulties connected to the upheavals in their lives or bad memories connected with night time and sleep. This two-part Special Feature looks at sleep difficulties and some strategies to help.

The National Sleep Foundation in America found, in a 2004 survey, that two-thirds of all children experienced one or more sleep problems a few nights a week.

Common problems included; difficulties falling asleep, resisting going to bed, sleep walking, snoring and breathing difficulties. Nearly one-third of children needed attention from a parent during the night.

For some adopted children being left alone to go to sleep could trigger a sense of abandonment or rejection. They may need their parents to be more emotionally and physically available at night, and to show them they are loved, safe and well-cared for.

Strategies
Children may be oversensitive to sound, light, or touch, and so have difficulty filtering these out at night. Making adjustments to the environment – such as using thick blinds or curtains to make the room darker, to minimise their sensory input at night could make a huge difference.

Children who are used to being rocked, stroked or sung to sleep, may find it difficult to go back to sleep on their own if they wake during the night.

For newly placed children, learning as much as possible about their bedtime routine and sleep environment in foster care can help. The clothes they came in and objects they slept with can have reassuring smells and associations that help with the transition to their new home.

Grief at the loss of familiar caregivers can erupt at night, and when you come to console them they may be expecting someone else.

Children who are frightened of going to bed or do not want you to leave the room may need help to reduce their anxiety.

Providing a night light, playing soothing background music for them, and making sure they have comforting transitional objects – such as a cloth or a toy may help.

Other strategies could include moving around where he or she can still hear you after they have gone to bed, and suggesting pleasant ideas to dream about, such as a forthcoming holiday.

Why is sleep so important?

The Millpond sleep clinic, which trains and advises the NHS on issues relate to sleep, suggests: 'Sleep is important for a child's health and overall development as it directly impacts mental and physical development.'

Our sleep-wake cycle, also known as the 24-hour Circadian Rhythm takes time to develop in children, which is why the sleep patterns of newborns can be so erratic. The rhythm begins to develop at about six weeks of age. By three to six months most infants have a regular sleep-wake cycle.

The sleep cycle consists of two sleep states. Non Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) or ‘quiet sleep’ and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) or ‘active sleep’. A cycle lasts 50-90 minutes depending on age.

During deep stages of NREM sleep, blood to the muscles is increased, energy is released, tissue growth and repair occurs and hormones are released for growth and development.

During REM sleep are brains are active and dreaming occurs.

How much sleep do children need?
The 2004 Sleep in America Poll also showed that children up to age 11 were getting one to two hours less sleep in every 24 hours than experts recommend for their age group.

Average number of hours sleep per day by age

1-12 months
14-15 hours
1-3 years
12-14 hours
3-6 years
10-12 hours
7-9 years
10-11 hours
10-14 years
9-10 hours
15-18 years
8-9 hours

Read part two of this special feature now

Date published 28 May 2010

1-12 months	14-15 hours
1-3 years	12-14 hours
3-6 years	10-12 hours
7-9 years	10-11 hours
10-14 years	9-10 hours
15-18 years	8-9 hours