Rest easy: Improving your child’s sleep
We’re taking a deep dive into childhood sleep - something that most parents have struggled with at one stage or another! If your child experiences sleep issues, you will know all too well the effects it can have on their life - and yours too!
So, what are the common sleep issues we're talking about? Well, there are three main types: difficulty falling asleep, disrupted sleep throughout the night, and waking up too early in the morning. Regardless of the sleep issue you are facing in your household, it can have a significant impact on your child's physical and mental health, as well as their cognitive function during the day. Studies have linked poor sleep to a number of health issues like obesity, growth disorders, and academic performance struggles (1).
To give you a better understanding of the length of sleep you should be aiming for with your child, this is a rough guide:
Newborns need a hefty 14 to 17 hours
Toddlers require around 11 to 14 hours, and
School-aged children should aim for 9 to 11 hours each night.
Night-time wakings are fairly common in infants but should lessen as your child grows. However, it's worth noting that up to 30% of preschoolers have been reported to still experience sleep difficulties, so the moment when your child begins to sleep through the night will vary from family to family. (2).
If your child isn’t sleeping well, you don’t need to be told that their sleep disruptions can impact your health too. From affecting your mood, regulating your emotions, and decision-making, the effects are wide-ranging (3). So, it’s fair to say that addressing these issues is crucial for everyone's well-being.
In this blog, we'll explore the different factors that affect childhood sleep, investigations that should be considered, and how naturopathy can help your family to get a better night of sleep.
Why isn’t my child sleeping?
Getting to the bottom of your child’s sleep disturbances is crucial if you want to improve their sleep long-term. Beyond the surface-level factors such as bedtime routines and their sleep environment, a range of underlying issues can impact your child's ability to fall asleep easily, stay asleep and wake feeling refreshed.
Often, poor sleep can be related to sleep-disordered breathing, so watch for snoring, loud breathing, and mouth breathing at night as these point to your child’s airways not functioning optimally. Allergies, enlarged tonsils, and conditions such as asthma and sleep apnoea can be related to sleep-disordered breathing, which should be explored with your health professional. Wakeful sleep can also be due to nutritional deficiencies, such as magnesium and iron, with research showing that low ferritin levels are associated with insomnia (1).
Your child might also be experiencing discomfort from growing pains, untreated skin conditions such as eczema, or headaches, which as you can imagine, would affect their quality of sleep. Additionally, stomach upset from food intolerances, constipation, and parasites can cause discomfort that may keep your child up at night. You should also look for worms, using the sticky tape or torch light methods, and look out for teeth grinding as this can often be related to a threadworm infection.
Your child’s routine and environment can also impact their ability to get a good night of sleep, with exposure to screens and artificial light before bedtime impacting their melatonin production (1). The same can be said for not getting enough natural light on waking, so get out in the sunshine as a family first thing in the morning to set your child up for a good night of sleep later on.
If your little one has experienced nightmares or night terrors, you’ll know this can make for a bad night of sleep. Childhood anxiety and depression can also definitely affect sleep, with separation anxiety often contributing to resistance at bedtime and early morning waking, which may also need to be addressed holistically.
What tests can I do to help my child’s sleep?
If you're worried about your child's sleep, figuring out what's going on might involve a few different investigations. Firstly, there are sleep studies, which help to diagnose sleep-disordered breathing conditions such as sleep apnoea.
Then there's checking for nutritional deficiencies. Low iron can be a factor, especially if your child seems restless at night. But it's not just iron - zinc and magnesium play roles in the nervous system, and if they're lacking, they can mess with your child’s sleep too. There’s a reason why naturopaths love magnesium for sleep - it can make a huge difference, particularly in those who experience increased stress and anxiety. Naturopaths can also test your child's melatonin levels and thyroid function, to understand the biochemical processes that might be affecting sleep on a foundational level. Comprehensive microbiome stool tests can also be invaluable if gut health is playing a role.
We also need to consider pre-existing medical conditions. If your child has any health issues already, they could be impacting their sleep in ways you might not realise. It's all about connecting the dots and finding the best solutions for your little one's sleep struggles.
How naturopathy can support your child’s sleep
If your child is struggling to get a good night's sleep, naturopathy can help improve both the quality and length of your child’s sleep through a holistic approach. What’s more, by looking at your child’s overall physical and mental health, we can address not only your child’s sleep, but help them feel more energised and focused, ready to take on the day.
As naturopaths, we take a comprehensive approach to sleep issues. During a consultation, we will delve into:
Sleep hygiene: the way your child prepares for bed and their bedroom environment, such as lighting, noise and exposure to devices
Mental health: supporting your child’s nervous system to reduce stress and anxiety levels
Dietary factors: ensuring your child’s diet includes the right nutrients, in the right quantities, which are so important for promoting good sleep
Underlying health conditions: such as unmanaged food allergies and intolerances, which can disrupt sleep, so we make sure to consider these as part of a holistic assessment.
Gut health and the potential impact of dysbiosis on nutrient absorption and nutrient deficiencies, leaky gut and its role in food intolerances, and general gut discomfort that often keeps our little ones awake.
By addressing these underlying factors, we can get to the root of your child’s sleep concerns and provide a tailored treatment plan. In some instances, we will need to dig deeper using other functional testing to identify exactly why sleep issues are occurring, such as heavy metal toxicities, food sensitivities, and nutrient deficiencies. We have had a lot of success with this approach and families are often surprised by the turnaround they see in their children’s sleep!
Take the first step towards better sleep for your child by booking an appointment at The KAN Clinic with our team of experienced naturopaths. Sleep is such a key pillar of health and by getting this right - once and for all - your family will be well on its way to improved health and vitality. Doesn’t that sound amazing!
References
Arboledas, G. P., Insuga, V. S., Luque, M. J. J., Gomariz, C. F., Vicario, I. H., Rosello, A. L., ... & Madrid, J. A. (2017). Insomnia in children and adolescents. A consensus document. Anales de Pediatría (English Edition), 86(3), 165-e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anpede.2016.06.002
Bruni, O., DelRosso, L. M., Mogavero, M. P., Angriman, M., & Ferri, R. (2022). Chronic insomnia of early childhood: phenotypes and pathophysiology. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 137, 104653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104653
Hill, C. M., & Everitt, H. (2018). Assessment and initial management of suspected behavioural insomnia in pre-adolescent children. BMJ, 363. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k3797
