Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Children Topic Guide

Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) is the involuntary passage of urine while sleeping. Causes of bedwetting include urinary tract infection, diabetes, emotional problems, neurological problems, pinworm infection, and excessive fluid intake. Treatment may incorporate moisture detectors, medication, and surgery.

Insomnia affects most people at some point in their lifetime. Insomnia is actually a symptom of a condition, disease, or situation. Non-medical treatment of insomnia includes: sleep hygiene, relaxation therapy, stimulus control, and sleep restriction. There are many medications that can be prescribed to a person with insomnia.

Insomnia is a common problem for many people. Insomnia can be primary or secondary. Secondary causes of insomnia include medications, diseases, environmental factors, and pregnancy. Non-drug, home remedies, and OTC and prescription drugs that treat insomnia include: Sleeping pills Melatonin Sleep hygiene education Biofeedback Relaxation therapy Common side effects of sleeping pills include: Impaired coordination, balance, or mental alertness Depression Suicidal thoughts

Night terrors comprise a sleep disorder distinctly different from nightmares, which are normal and happen during REM sleep. Intense fear and/or crying over multiple episodes during sleep characterize night terrors, which usually occur in children. Rarely, tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed in severe cases, but the disorder usually is not harmful and resolves itself.

Nightmares occur from time to time in many children, but they are most common in preschoolers (children aged 3 to 6 years) because this is the age at which normal fears develop. Practicing good sleep hygiene and other strategies can help eliminate nightmares.

Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is repetitive cramping or jerking of the legs during sleep. It's related to restless leg syndrome, but it is a distinct disorder. Learn about treatment and remedies.

There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (the most common type) and central sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be caused by many factors such as strokes, heart failure, medications, or physical structures in the throat and mouth. Treatment range from medical devices to surgery.

A person's circadian rhythm is an internal biological clock that regulates a variety of biological processes according to an approximate 24-hour period. A disorder of the circadian rhythm may cause sleeplessness on at transient or chronic basis. The disorder can be caused by air travel across time zones, shift work, irregular sleep-wake cycle, delayed sleep phase syndrome, and advanced sleep-phase syndrome.

Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder or "parasomnia." It is characterized by complex action and walking during sleep. This is common in children in early and middle adolescence. The sleepwalker doesn't remember what happens during these episodes.

Snoring is the sound that occurs during sleep when soft tissues where the throat meets the back of the nasal passage partially block the airway and subsequently vibrates and causes noise. Snoring in itself isn't a big medical problem, but can be an indicator of a more serious problem like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).