Causes of Childhood Insomnia - Dealing With Insomnia in Children and Teens

July 25, 2008

Causes of Childhood Insomnia - Dealing With Insomnia in Children and Teens

More than likely you have heard of Insomnia, but usually you think of it as an adult problem. Insomnia is very common in adults; however, often kids have sleep problems as well. If you happen to have a child who is having trouble sleeping they may be dealing with childhood Insomnia.

When it comes to adult Insomnia, figuring out the causes can be a bit difficult; however, usually with children there is usually a cause that is quite obvious. So, here are a few of the causes of childhood Insomnia you need to be aware of.

Cause #1 - Upset Stomach - One very common cause of Insomnia in children can actually be an upset stomach. If your child is dealing with an upset stomach or constipation that is dealing with stomach pain, this could be causing the Insomnia problem. Take time to figure out whether your child is eating right and going to the bathroom regularly.

Cause #2 - Stress - Many of adults deal with Insomnia that is caused by stress, and stress can cause Insomnia in children as well. Talk to your child and try to find out what is going on in their lives. Are they dealing with a tough time in school, are things tense around the home, or is your child having problems with a bully? There can be many things that stress out your child, which can lead to Insomnia.

Stress is also a major cause of Insomnia in teens. Teenagers in high school are usually under a great deal of pressure to study long hours. They may also be dealing with relationship problems and competition on the sports field or in the classroom. Extracting information from a teenager isn’t easy, but it’s worth persevering. Counselling is also available.

Cause #3 - Sleep Apnea - Believe it or not, children can be affected by sleep apnea as well, which is when they stop breathing during their sleep. If you think that this could be the problem with your child, they may need to be evaluated medically to see if this is really the problem. If your child is constantly tired despite sleeping long hours, sleep apnea may well be the culprit.

Cause #4 - Pain - Pain is another common cause of childhood Insomnia, and the pain can come from a number of different places. Children can get Fibromyalgia, childhood rheumatoid arthritis can hit or growing pains may even be the problem. If your child is playing sports, muscle cramps could even be causing pain that keeps them up at night.

As you can see there are a variety of causes of Insomnia in children. No doubt you want to find ways that you can help alleviate the problem. Well, in many cases, it’s as simple as finding a natural cure.

There are a variety of natural cures out there today that can help treat childhood Insomnia . You won’t want to give them prescription medications or over the counter treatments that are full of chemicals and dangerous drugs, so consider some of the excellent natural options that can be found to treat Insomnia in children.

Find out more about child sleep and teen sleep, as well as natural ways to help your child overcome Insomnia. Visit Child Sleep your resource for good sleep advice and articles. The author Wendy Owen is a health researcher and author.

Tags : causes of childhood insomnia, insomnia in children, insomnia in teens