Child Sleep Problems

People often do not realize that small children — as well as pre-teens and adolescents — can suffer from sleep problems. Their issues may range from sleep apnea to night terrors. NorthShore Sleep Medicine accepts patients 2-years-old and older.

Common Symptoms

• excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)
• disturbed, fragmented sleep
• sleep walking
• sleep talking
• confusional arousals
• sleep enuresis (bedwetting)
• snoring or heavy, labored breathing
• difficulty concentrating, paying attention and remembering
• and many more

See our article on Sleep Disorders in Children for details about the types of problems kids may be experiencing.

Treatment Options

At Northshore Sleep Medicine, we specialize in diagnosing sleep problems in children and adolescents. Options for treatment may include recommendations such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine which patients use at home.

Sleep Guidelines for Children

Dr. Lisa Shives of Northshore Sleep Medicine recommends the following guidelines for the amount of sleep children need at each stage of their development.

• Newborns (0-2 months)
  Sleep 11-18 hours through the day and night with no pattern.
• Infants (2-12 months)
  Sleep 9-12 hours at night and nap for 2-5 hours.
• By 6 months of age, most babies are capable of sleeping through the night.*
• Toddlers (1-3 years)
  Sleep 11-13 hours with 1.5-3 hours spent in 1-2 naps.
• Pre-Schoolers (3-5 years)
  Sleep 11-13 hours. Usually napping has stopped.
• School- Age (6-12 years)
  Usually need 10-11 hours but often don’t get this.
• Adolescents (13-18 years)
  Usually need 9-9.5 hours. Sleep deprivation is notorious in this age group. Most teenagers only get 7 hours of sleep.
  

*This particular recommendation is based on guidelines provided
by Jodi Mindell, PhD, of Children's Hospital Philadelphia and
Judith Owens, MD, of Brown University.