Sleeplessness in Children and Adolescents: What’s Keeping Them Up at Night?
Mar 12, 2024
From infancy through adolescence, healthy sleep is needed to help your child to learn, grow, remember things, drive safely, make decisions, support their immune system, and have a healthy emotional wellness. Yet, children and adolescents may be unable to sleep due to reasons beyond their control.
Who Is Experiencing Sleeplessness?
Over half of youth are not obtaining the recommended amount of sleep for their age. In addition, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx children have been found to consistently sleep less than their White peers due to barriers. Unfortunately, this patterned difference exists between children and adolescent groups with different races/ethnicities, households/family incomes, parental education levels, and/or sexual and gender minority status. It is difficult for children to have healthy sleep when the following common environmental stressors and health barriers occur:
Exposure to discrimination due to race/ethnicity, gender, and/or sexual orientation
Crowded households
Sleep space, bed, and/or bedding is not available
What Are Common Emotional Consequences of Sleeplessness in Children and Adolescents?
Sleep is closely connected to your child’s mental and emotional health. When children and adolescents sleep less than is recommended for their age, they may:
Have increased feelings of fatigue, stress, and/or worry
What Can I Do to Help My Child Manage Stress and Protect Their Sleep?
Helping your child manage stress and obtain healthy sleep is in reach but requires a bit of consistency and relaxation! You can help them by:
Dimming lighting during nightly bedtime routine to “wind-down”
Use relaxation strategies (e.g., guided meditation, relaxation recordings, calming music)
Reduce their intake of caffeine during the day
Have designated time after school to check-in with them about their worries
If your child is having nightmares, create a script that positively reframes the nightmare
When Should I Consult a Doctor?
Contact your child’s pediatrician if they start experiencing any of the following:
Has anxiety and depression symptoms but begins to experience suicidal thoughts or panic symptoms.
Has nightmares more than a few times a month or if nightmares are interfering with their sleep or other aspects of their daily routine/life.
Is experiencing an increase in sleeplessness, anxiety, and/or depression symptoms and is not able to cope with day-to-day life stressors. Your child may benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy services.
If your child experienced a traumatic event, it is important they receive professional help from a trauma-certified therapist to help them recover from the experience.
Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research
Much of the research of Mattina Davenport, PhD, is focused on improving the equitable detection of sleep deficiency in healthcare and community settings (e.g., primary care and school-based health). She is also interested in mixed-methods research investigating the multilevel factors that are barriers and facilitators of pediatric sleep health and care navigation.
All Topics
Browse by Author
About this Blog
Pediatric News You Can Use From America’s Largest Pediatric Hospital and Research Center
700 Children’s® features the most current pediatric health care information and research from our pediatric experts – physicians and specialists who have seen it all. Many of them are parents and bring a special understanding to what our patients and families experience. If you have a child – or care for a child – 700 Children’s was created especially for you.
