Nov
2025
How many hours of sleep your children are having in a day? Do you ever think about sleep disorders in children? Early detection of sleep disorders in children helps parents to avoid the chronic problems in kids.
Here is the detailed blog post by Kids Klinic on how sleep disorders in children affect their overall growth in the long run, overall awareness for parents to understand them better and help your children sleep better.
Let’s dive into this deeply!
Understanding Sleep Disorders In Children
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), newborns need 14-17 hours of sleep daily, whereas school-age children require 9-12 hours only.
The effects of sleep disorders in such a way that they limit these needs are not recognizable through mere tiredness but rather through the consequences related to growth hormone production, immune function, and cognitive development.
Common Sleep Disorders In Children
Common Sleep Disorder #1: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 1-5% of children are prevalent, and the age group most affected is 2-8 years. The moment during sleep when a child's airway is partially or completely blocked is called obstructive sleep apnea, which leads to interruptions in breathing.
Hence, these episodes (the number of which can go up to several dozens per hour) are what define this disease.
Detection Signs:
- Snoring with pauses in breathing
- Gasping and choking sounds
- Restless sleep with frequent position changes
Common Sleep Disorder #2: Insomnia
Insomnia in children has the symptoms of the inability to fall asleep, sleep through the night or both, even though enough time for sleep has been provided. The main type of insomnia in children's behavior accounts for approximately 20-30% of cases and can have a major impact on the family living situation.
Detection Signs:
- Regularly taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep
- Bedtime resisting or requiring excessive parental involvement
- Being anxious about sleep or bedtime
- Experiencing daytime fatigue, irritability, and/or mood changes
- Having a hard time concentrating at school
Common Sleep Disorder #3: Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
It is a neurological disorder that produces unpleasant sensations in the legs, most of the time children will describe these as "creepy-crawly" feelings, tingling, or an unstoppable need to move their legs.
What triggers RLS symptoms are rest which, in contrast, the movement reduces them. According to research published in the National Institutes of Health, iron deficiency is majorly associated with pediatric RLS, making nutritional assessment important
Detection Signs:
- Evening leg discomfort that gets worse and is usually reported by children
- Bedtime restlessness
- Sleep-related leg movements (noticed by parents)
- Unusual pattern of growing pains
- RLS family history
One of the possible reasons behind RLS that can be found in many cases is iron deficiency, thus making the nutritional assessment very important, states the research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
Common Sleep Disorder #4: Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
As explained by Johns Hopkins Medicine, the circadian rhythm disorder is the major cause of trouble sleeping for adolescents. The internal clock of the young one is delayed hence it makes the child feel very awake and alert at night and difficult to be woken up in the morning.
Detection Signs:
- Consistent difficult in sleeping before midnight
- Extreme difficulty waking for school
- Poor academic performance due to morning grogginess
What Causes Sleep Disorders in Children?
Numerous factors cause children to have sleep disorders and most of the time these factors interact biologically, psychologically, and socially with each other:
1. Biological Factors:
One of the major causes of sleep problems in children is genetic inheritance which takes an important part in the whole process. The probability of sleep disorders is higher for children with such parents than those with the normal ones.
2. Environmental Factors:
The bedroom, where one should sleep, has a great influence on sleep quality. Light, noise, and temperature are considered as a few of the factors that help children sleep early and fast, or hinder sleep processes.
3. Psychological Factors:
Among major causes and risk factors of sleep disorders in children are anxiety, stress, depression, and major life changes. A study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that emotional regulation difficulties are highly correlated with sleep problems.
Tips for Early Detection of Sleep Disorders
Tip #1: Keep A Sleep Diary
Note the mood, appetite, and energy of your kids during the day. This helps you understand their sleeping cycle, difficulties, and what halts them in sleeping.
Tip #2: Observe Breathing Patterns
Watch your children’s sleep daily, especially during the first several hours. Hear the child if snores or if breathing stops, or if the child gasps for air. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that the observations made by parents regarding sleep-disordered breathing in children can be taken as very trustworthy signs for an in-depth check-up.
Tip #3: Monitor Daytime Behavior
Find out if there is excessive sleepiness during the day, lack of focus, being overactive, irritability, and behavioral problems at schools.
When To Consult a Healthcare Provider?
Consider a professional assessment if your child is:
- Snoring that lasts more than three nights per week
- Breathing pauses that have been observed during sleep
- Continued hard time falling or staying asleep
- Sleepiness during the day that hampers school activities
- Occurrence of parasomnias happening frequently multiple times weekly
- Sleep problems combined with mood changes or behavioral issues
If you observe anything wrong, then it is always suggested to visit the best pediatrician or a sleep specialist near you.
Conclusion
The earlier sleep disorders in children are noticed, the better it is in terms of avoiding long-term health, developmental, and behavioral issues. Knowing about children's common sleep disorders, identifying signs and symptoms, and understanding causes of sleep disorders in children will empower parents to take preemptive measures to give their children quality sleep
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can allergies cause sleep disorders in children?
Allergies may disrupt sleep in a big way by leading to nasal congestion, mouth breathing, and awakening frequently during the night. In most cases, once allergies are taken care of, sleep quality improves dramatically.
2. At what age do sleep disorders typically begin appearing?
Sleep disorders are possible at any age. The most cases of obstructive sleep apnea are between 2-8 years old, while delayed sleep phase syndrome is usually found in the teenage period.
3. Do sleep disorders affect academic performance?
Yes, they do. Children suffering from untreated sleep disorders are more likely to have trouble focusing, memory deficits, behavioral problems and lower academic performance.
4. Is snoring always a sign of a sleep disorder?
Not always. Sometimes snoring when you have a cold is fine, but if it is continuous snoring, particularly if accompanied by gasping or breathing stoppage, then it is probably a case of obstructive sleep apnea which needs to be checked out. Do not conclude anything without a specialist or pediatrician consultation..
5. Can screen time really affect my child's sleep?
Yes, very much so. The blue ray emitted from monitors inhibits melatonin synthesis, late sleep time and lower sleep quality.