Article Review Day 2: Normal Sleep and Sleep Problems

Definitions:
Normal Sleep-"After the newborn period, normal sleep can be defined as the quantity and quality of nonrapid eye movement (NREM) and REM slee necessary to refresh the child."
Sleep Problem- "A sleep problem is any sleep pattern that interferes with the refreshing nature of sleep or that appreciably disrupts the sleep of others."

Courtney interjected thought: I think that too many children do not receive "normal sleep". We need to make sure as parents that we make the strides necessary to get our children the sleep they need- that may mean cutting errands short, hiring a babysitter, staying in more often, saying no to your child as they try to temper tantrum their way out of bedtime. PLEASE make sure they get the sleep they need!!

Sleep Problem Examples:
-"Any sleep problem that interferes with the child obtaining the optimal amount of sleep required for normal growth and development, emotional and psychological health, and proper immune function."
-Minor sleep problems: awakening a parent for a drink every night or to go the bathroom or waking up at the crack of dawn(if this is a behavior the parent wants to stop) or if this is inhibiting the quality of the child's sleep or making it so the child does not get enough sleep

Types of Sleep Problems:
-Dysomnias "are problems in which the child has trouble falling or staying asleep at night, or experiences excessive sleepiness during the day."
*They are the major cause of "disturbed nighttime sleep and daytime sleepiness..." Most common of these problems include: sleep-onset association disorder, limit-setting sleep disorder, inadequate sleep hygiene, insufficient sleep syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

-Parasomnias "involve behaviors or physiologic events that interrupt sleep after sleep onset, and include disorders of arousal, partial arousal, or with transition between the stages of sleep."
*They are frequently between the ages of 3 to 8 years old, "and children who experience one of these problems are likely to experience symptoms of another sleep problem. They are typically a developmental phenomenon and tend to subside as the child matures. In general, parasomnias are exacerbated by poor sleep schedules and inadequate sleep."
**"Parental education regarding proper sleep hygiene is essential for these children." (Great start visiting Lullaby Luna)
Examples of parasomnias: confusional arousal, sleepwalking, sleep terrors, nightmares, and rhythmic movement disorders.