Sleep problems for children

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There are many reasons why tamariki can't get to sleep or wake up during the night.

• Delayed sleep is when a child goes to bed later than they should.
• Some tamariki are unable to go to sleep at the start of the night or fall back to sleep overnight without a special thing or activity.
• Bedtime resistance is when tamariki stall or refuse to go to bed at the right time.
• Tamariki with insomnia have difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up early in the morning.
• Anxiety can prevent some tamariki from getting a good night's sleep.
• Tamariki with restless legs have an uncomfortable feeling in their legs when trying to fall asleep or during the night. 

Find out more in the sections below.

Delayed sleep happens when a child goes to bed later than they should. Your child may:

• complain that they can't fall asleep
• be unable to wake up by themselves in the morning and
• often be tired in the morning.

Your child falls asleep late and wakes up late. They often need to be woken up by someone else. During school holidays or on weekends your child will:

• go to bed late and generally sleep well overnight
• wake up by themselves but often late in the morning and
• have enough sleep overall.

Find out how to manage delayed sleep(external link) on KidsHealth.

Some tamariki are unable to go to sleep at the start of the night or fall back to sleep overnight without a special thing or activity. This is called sleep onset association disorder and can stop tamariki getting to sleep too.

Key features are:

• your child needs something (such as music or a certain toy) or someone (for example, mum or dad) to get to sleep at the start of the night and/or fall back to sleep overnight and
• if that something or someone is not there, they will not be able to get to sleep at the start of the night or fall back to sleep overnight.

Find out how to manage sleep association(external link) on KidsHealth.

Bedtime resistance happens when a child stalls or refuses to go to bed at the right time.

Your child will:

• have difficulty getting to sleep
• get in and out of bed or call out a lot and
• once asleep, sleep well and wake up often later in the morning.

Read more about bedtime resistance(external link) on KidsHealth.

We don't really know how common anxiety is as a cause of sleep problems in school tamariki, but it's probably common.

Tamariki with anxiety may:

• lie in bed worrying about things
• tend to stay in their bed rather than getting in and out of bed all the time and
• tend to be a 'worrier' in general about life.

Find out how to manage anxiety as a cause of sleep problems(external link) on KidsHealth.

Tamariki with insomnia have difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up early in the morning.

Tamariki with insomnia may:

• worry during the day about being unable to fall asleep or stay asleep
• seem to try hard to fall asleep at bedtime but seem to fall asleep easily at other times, such as when watching television
• seem tense at bedtime and
• be tired during the day.

Find out how to manage insomnia(external link) on KidsHealth. 

Tamariki with restless legs have an uncomfortable feeling in their legs when trying to fall asleep or during the night.

Tamariki with restless legs may:

• describe the uncomfortable feeling as a 'creepy/crawly' or 'pulling' feeling, or as 'growing pains'
• move around a lot in bed to try to stop the uncomfortable feeling
• walk or pace around at bedtime
• be unable to sit still for a long time and
• be tired or cranky the next day due to lack of sleep.

Find out how to manage restless legs in children(external link) on KidsHealth.

Nightmares are bad dreams that are usually related to worries your child may have. 

• The best thing that you can do if your child has a nightmare is to comfort them.
• Following most nightmares, your child will be reassured by a few minutes of comfort.
• Let them know that you are nearby and will make sure that they are safe and secure.
• Most children are still tired after a nightmare and will be ready to fall back to sleep.
• Avoid frightening or overstimulating images, especially just before bedtime.
• Having a security object like a soft toy or blanket that your child can keep in bed with them can be helpful.
• If your child's nightmares are severe, speak to your family doctor, school nurse or counsellor or paediatrician.

Read more about nightmares(external link) on KidsHealth. 

Night terrors happen when children are only partly aroused or woken from deep sleep. They can be very frightening for parents and carers.

• Night terrors are scary to watch but usually harmless to children.
• The most important thing to do when your child has a night terror is to keep your child safe.
• Generally, nothing is gained by trying to wake a child up during a night terror.
• To encourage a return to normal sleep, guide your child gently back to bed.
• Try to resist comforting your child during a night terror.
• Night terrors are more likely to happen on nights when your child goes to sleep at a different time than usual.

Read more about night terrors(external link) on KidsHealth. 

The Good Nights Programme is a New Zealand developed sleep programme. It was originally developed to support tamariki with autism-takiwātanga. But much of the content is relevant to all parents and whānau looking for the best way to support their child to improve their sleep. You can work through the modules in your own time.

Module 1: Understanding your child's sleep(external link)
Module 2: Sleep scheduling(external link)
Module 3: Creating optimum conditions for sleep(external link)
Module 4: Teaching children healthy sleep habits(external link)
Module 5: Relaxation(external link)
Module 6: Promoting sleep-conducive behaviour(external link)
Module 7: Creating a sleep support plan(external link)

Find out more about the Good Nights Programme(external link).