Key points about sleep problems in children
- tamariki may wake during the night for many reasons
- delayed sleep is when a child goes to bed later than they should
- some tamariki need a specific thing or activity to fall asleep or return to sleep
- bedtime resistance is when tamariki delay or refuse going to bed
- insomnia means trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early
- anxiety can affect sleep
- restless legs can cause discomfort when falling asleep or during the night
This page is about sleep in primary school tamariki.
Delayed sleep in children
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
- often be tired in the morning
Your child falls asleep late and wakes up late. You often have to wake your child, they won't wake by themselves.
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
- have enough sleep overall
Find out how to manage delayed sleep.
Sleep association in children
Some tamariki are unable to get to sleep at night or fall back to sleep without a special thing or activity. Health professionals call this sleep onset association disorder.
Key features of sleep association disorder are:
- your child needs something (such as music or a certain toy) or someone (such as mum or dad) to get to sleep or to fall back to sleep
- if that something or someone is not there, they will not be able to get to sleep or fall back to sleep overnight
Find out how to manage sleep association.
Bedtime resistance
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
- once asleep, sleep well
- often wake up later in the morning
Find out how to manage bedtime resistance.
Anxiety and sleep problems in children
Anxiety can cause sleep problems in school-aged tamariki.
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
- tend to be a 'worrier' in general about life
Find out how to manage anxiety as a cause of sleep problems.
Insomnia
Tamariki with insomnia have trouble with:
- falling asleep
- staying asleep
- waking up early in the morning
Tamariki with insomnia may:
- worry during the day about being unable to fall asleep or stay asleep
- have trouble falling asleep at bedtime but fall asleep easily at other times, such as when watching TV
- seem tense at bedtime
- be tired during the day
Find out how to manage insomnia.
Restless legs in children
Tamariki with restless legs may feel discomfort in their legs when falling asleep or during the night. Tamariki with restless legs may:
- describe the uncomfortable feeling as a 'creepy/crawly' or 'pulling' feeling
- describe the discomfort 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.
Online sleep programme
The Good Nights Programme is a New Zealand developed sleep programme. It was originally developed to support tamariki with autism-takiwātanga. Much of the content is helpful for all parents and whānau who want to support their child to sleep better. You can work through the modules in your own time.
Find out more about sleep and the best way to support your child to improve their sleep.
Module 1: Understanding your child's sleep
Module 2: Sleep scheduling
Module 3: Creating optimum conditions for sleep
Module 4: Teaching children healthy sleep habits
Module 5: Relaxation
Module 6: Promoting sleep-conducive behaviour
Module 7: Creating a sleep support plan
Visit the Good Nights Programme website to see all the modules
Acknowledgements
Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand thank the Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, for making this content available to parents and families.
© Copyright – Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2014. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), no part of this content may be reproduced by a process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific written permission of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.
