Behavioral sleep problems are common in the paediatric population. While a sudden change in your child's sleep patterns may be short-term in nature, some sleep problems are persistent and can have an adverse affect on the quality of life of both children and caregivers.
Behaviour-based Persistent Sleep Problems
These behaviours may happen at bedtime or during the night and may include:
Refusal to sleep in his or her own bed
Getting out of bed after bid goodnight
Calling out after bid goodnight
Inability to fall asleep with parental presence
Waking up throughout the night
Impact of Persistent Sleep Problems on Families
A lack of quality sleep may result in behaviour problems, difficulty concentrating, poorer memory, and difficulty understanding instructions. The longterm implications of a lack of sleep may include academic failure and worsened health related conditions (Owens et al, 2019). Behavioral sleep problems in children, .
Getting Help
Caring for a child with persistent sleep problems affects the entire family and can be incredibly disruptive to the daily routine. A positive first step is to speak with your family physician to determine if medical intervention is required. Once medical conditions have been ruled out, seeking support from a professional with experience in designing behaviour-based interventions can help get things back on track.
References
Owens, J., Chervin, R., Hoppin, A. (2019), Behavioural Sleep Problems in Children. Retrieved from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/behavioral-sleep-problems-in-children.