Being tired in the morning after a late night or hard day isn’t something to worry over, but what about after a good night’s sleep? Do you find that your children are tired even when they’re put to bed on time? Sleep hygiene is a major part of ensuring that your child has a good night’s sleep, but this daytime sleepiness can be caused by underlying disorders as well. Here are some causes of chronic exhaustion in children:
Improper Sleep Hygiene
While it’s extremely important that your child is getting to bed the same time every night and early enough, that isn’t the only aspect of sleep hygiene. Make sure that your child’s sleeping space is an ideal sleeping environment. Their room should be quiet, cool, and dark when it’s bedtime. If there is a lot of noise or light coming in from outside, try to nullify these sleep disturbing factors by installing light blocking curtains and using white noise to cancel out the noise.
Your child also shouldn’t be exposed to electronic screens before sleep, as this can cause their minds to become overactive and reduce their sleep quality. Reading is a good activity before bed. If you notice that your child is still tired after sleeping, make sure their sleep hygiene is the best it can be, as this is the easiest problem to fix. Check on your child after they have gone to bed to ensure they are falling asleep and not staying up using devices.
Stress
While we like to think of childhood as a fun and stress-free time, children of school age undergo a lot of daily stress to perform well academically. If your child is tired, they may be under too much pressure. A child therapist may be able to help them cope with the difficulties they are having. Stress can also cause a child to have less restful sleep, problems with nightmares, and insomnia.
Worries can keep a child awake just like adults, so teaching your child coping skills for stress is an excellent idea even if they aren’t particularly anxious; that way, when they need the skills, they will have them. In general, stress also makes us feel more tired, so this could be the cause and root of the problem.
Stress can also cause night terrors in children. Night terrors are a parasomnia in which the child screams, cries, and flails in fear. These episodes are different than nightmares, which are negative dreams. Night terrors generally aren’t remembered by children and they may not even realize they are having these episodes, but nevertheless these episodes can be extremely disruptive to sleep.
Too Much Energy
If you go to bed with a lot of unexpended energy it’s going to be harder to fall asleep, and once your child is asleep the quality of sleep will be much lower. Children should have active lifestyles where they play physically during the day to ensure that their bodies are tired before bed at night. This is also tied to another childhood issue, obesity, which can cause sleep issues. Childhood obesity can cause childhood sleep apnea, which is dangerous and will disrupt your child’s sleep, leaving them tired and unable to concentrate during the day.
Caffeine should also be avoided. It will leave your child more hyper and discourage healthy sleep habits. Caffeine is especially bad in the evening near bedtime as it can disrupt sleep patterns and wreak havoc on a child’s ability to fall soundly to sleep.
Cut back on caffeine for your child in general and make sure they are getting enough physical activity throughout the day.
Asthma and Allergies
Two disorders that commonly cause tiredness in children are asthma and allergies. Both of these issues can restrict your child’s breathing, making it harder to fall and stay asleep. These are manageable conditions and can be treated by a knowledgeable physician. If you notice your child wheezing, coughing, becoming short of breath, or sneezing frequently, having them assessed for asthma and allergies is a good idea.
Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Shukla
If your child is tired after sleeping, it’s important that your child is assessed by a medical professional to find the underlying cause. Sleep deprivation can have negative long term effects on a child’s health.
Dr. Mayank Shukla is an expert in sleep health, as well as allergies and asthma. His excellent healthcare can assure that your child is having the best sleep possible. Schedule a consultation today at the Asthma Allergy Sleep Center of New York today.
