When thinking about the types of sleep disorders in children, you should know that some of them are quite common and they are relatively easy to treat. Nonetheless some of the disorders could have long-term effects if they aren’t diagnosed and treated in time.
Night terrors
These terrors are sudden and they are usually associated with fear, emotional outburst and motor activity. It usually appears in children of 4-8.
When the child wakes up, he or she doesn’t have any memory of the terror. If your child has a night terror, you should make sure that he or she is comfortable, but don’t wake them up.
Sleep walking
This kind of sleep disorder in children is common at age 8-12. Usually the children sit up in their bed with their eyes open or they walk around the house. They could be speaking but the parents can’t understand them. By the time they reach adolescence, they will grow sleepwalking out.
Bedwetting
When it comes to the different types of sleep disorders in children, this one is common between ages 6 and 12.Usually it is associated with a family history of the problem, problems with lower bladder capacity, or developmental lag. The good news is that usually the problem isn’t serious.
Sleep-onset anxiety
This one of the children’s sleep disorder kinds means that the child is afraid to fall asleep. The problem can be caused by trauma or stressful events. The problem usually occurs in case of older children. It can be treated by reassurance and the introduction of bedtime routines.
Obstructive sleep apnea
Although this is common among adults, it is also one of the types of sleep disorders in children. It means the obstruction of the airways during the night. The symptoms include difficulty in breathing, snoring, daytime sleepiness and mouth breathing. In this case the disturbance isn’t serious.
Narcolepsy
This is a rare one of the sleep disorder in children. It is a genetic condition that causes sleep attacks, sleep-onset hallucinations and sleep-onset paralysis. The problem usually appears during adolescence and if you think your child has it, you should see a sleep specialist.
There are some other types of sleep disorders in children as well like delayed sleep phase syndrome. If you see the signs, you should see a specialist especially if the signs are serious. As it has been mentioned before, some of the disorders disappear on their own.
