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My Child Wakes Up Multiple Times in the Night

Children need sleep to avoid feeling fatigued during the day and so they can focus and be productive. According to The Franklin Institute, sleep disturbances in children can result in behavioral problems, medical problems and psychiatric and social issues. If you child is acting out or showing signs of aggression, his sleeping pattern may be to blame. There can be many reasons why your child frequently wakes up at night.

  1. Night Terrors And Nightmares

    • Frequent night-waking can be caused by night terrors or nightmares your child may have. Night terrors are different from nightmares, because they cause your child to scream uncontrollably and appear disoriented and confused. Kids cannot be comforted and don't realize the presence of a parent in the room. After the fact, children don't remember the event. An adolescent psychiatrist may help you figure out the reasoning behind your child's night terrors. Nightmares happen later in the night and can be remembered by the child. Parents who comfort their child and put him back to sleep should not talk too much about the nightmare, since it will keep the child scared.

    Physical Issues

    • Your child can wake up at night because of physical issues such as the flu or a cold, bladder infections, earaches, headaches, teething and gas. Discomfort caused by physical issues can wake up your child several times per night. Find out the reason behind your child's frequent waking before resorting to any treatments. When your child wakes at night, be sure to be boring and don't talk a lot. You want your child to feel like not much else interesting is going on, so that he goes back to sleep.

    Separation Anxiety

    • Separation anxiety is when you child is so attached to you, that he cannot sleep without knowing that you are there. Children may have trouble falling back to sleep again because the parent is not there to soothe them. Separation anxiety is not always toward the parents. It can be a pacifier or stuffed animal that your child is missing and cannot sleep without. To teach your child to fall asleep by himself, separate yourself from him for a short period of time and let him realize that you will come back. Having the same nighttime ritual each night will help him prepare to go to sleep.

    ADHD And Sleep Apnea

    • According to Drgreene.com, children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) wake up more frequently at night compared to children without ADHD. Sleep apnea, a condition where your child has interrupted and difficult breathing patterns while sleeping, can also lead to frequent waking at night. Because ADHD and sleep apnea have similar symptoms and both cause sleeping problems, kids can get diagnosed with ADHD when it's really sleep apnea that they have. Both sleep apnea and ADHD can require medical treatment.

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