Sleeping (difficulty in settling)

Difficulty in settling at night is a common problem in preschool age children and has a prevalence of 10-20% (1)

Possible causes of this problem include:

• fears of the dark
• ordinary developmental separation anxiety
• inadvertent overstimulation
• displaced sleep/wake cycle
• lack of routine

It is important to inform the parents that problems with children having difficulty in settling at night are common. Also they must be informed that the condition can sometimes be difficult to solve and there are no guaranteed short cuts to resolution.

Reference:

• Hill P. Sleep Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence. in Current Approaches: sleep disorders. Eds Horne J A, Page M L. Duphar Laboratories. 20-39.