The Rise of Childhood Insomnia:

Sleep is the foundation of your child’s overall well-being. Without it, everything else can feel like it’s teetering. Sleep fuels growth, steadies emotions, and helps your child focus and learn. But when your child struggles with falling or staying asleep, it can impact the whole family.

Childhood insomnia is a growing challenge. Maybe your toddler is battling bedtime like it’s a game, or your teen is wide awake during the early hours with delayed sleep phase syndrome. These sleep disturbances are more common than you might think.

This guide is designed to help you understand insomnia in children, how it affects their development, and the steps you can take to improve their sleep patterns and overall health.

What Is Childhood Insomnia?

Childhood insomnia goes beyond the occasional rough night. It’s defined as consistent difficulty with falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early. Over time, this can affect their mood, daytime functioning, and long-term health.

Common signs of behavioral childhood insomnia include:

• Difficulty falling asleep even when tired.

• Night waking and trouble returning to sleep.

• Short sleep durations that lead to daytime symptoms like crankiness, exhaustion, or trouble concentrating.

• Frequent bedtime battles or bedtime refusal.

  
  

If your child wakes often or cannot maintain sleep, it’s important to dig deeper into what’s causing these sleep problems. Not addressing insomnia symptoms can lead to chronic insomnia, impacting their mental and physical health.

Why Are Sleep Problems Becoming More Common?

There’s no single reason why kids are struggling with sleep. Sometimes, it’s rooted in environmental factors like too much screen time. Other times, emotional challenges like anxiety or inconsistent routines are to blame. For many, unresolved stress keeps their mind active, or their nervous system might be stuck in “fight-or-flight” mode. Here are some common underlying reasons behind childhood sleep problems.

Too Much Screen Time

Blue light emitted from screens like tablets or smartphones interferes with sleep onset by suppressing melatonin production. When your child uses screens close to their bedtime, their brain might believe it’s still daytime, making it harder for them to fall asleep.

Big Feelings at Bedtime

Some kids struggle with bedtime resistance because their emotions come alive at night. Anxiety, school pressures, or even separation fears can delay them winding down. These invisible feelings can result in insomnia symptoms like lying awake for hours.

Sleep Patterns and Routines

An inconsistent bedtime routine can confuse your child’s body clock. If bedtimes vary or there’s no predictable rhythm, their internal sleep onset associations might get thrown off. Over time, these inconsistencies can contribute to behavioral insomnia and poor sleep hygiene.

Diagnosed Sleep Disorders

Conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are closely linked to sleep disturbances. These conditions can lead to reduced sleep quality, difficulty maintaining sleep, and frequent night waking.

Sleep Dependencies That Need Adjusting

Does your child fall asleep only if a parent stays in the room, or do they need to be rocked every night? These undesirable sleep events, while comforting, can make it tough for them to self-soothe if they wake up overnight. Creating a strategy to foster good sleep hygiene while preserving their sense of safety is key to lasting improvement.

Why Sleep Matters for Development

Sleep is more than just rest; it’s a critical period for growth, regulation, and repair. When your child doesn’t get enough sleep, it can show up in surprising ways.

Physical Growth

During deep sleep, your child’s brain releases growth hormones that are crucial for their height, strength, and immune function. Insufficient sleep can disrupt these processes, delaying physical development.

Emotional and Behavioral Health

Lack of sleep has a direct connection to behavioral problems and emotional outbursts. A child who’s sleep-deprived might struggle with self-control, making daily transitions or family life more challenging. Over time, poor sleep hygiene can even increase the risk of developing anxiety or depression.

Focus and Learning

When your child doesn’t get enough rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, their brain can’t process or retain new information as effectively. This leads to challenges with schoolwork, problem-solving, and overall academic performance.

Strategies to Improve Your Child’s Sleep

The goal is to give your child the tools they need to establish healthy sleep habits. These simple strategies can make a lasting difference.

1. Create a Calming Bedtime Routine

Kids thrive with structure, and a soothing wind-down routine signals it’s time for sleep. Include activities like reading a favorite book, listening to calming music, or practicing slow breathing. Try to keep bedtime and wake-up time consistent every day, even on weekends, to anchor their sleep patterns.

2. Reduce Screen Time Before Bed

Turn off screens at least an hour before bedtime. Screens can delay sleep onset and interfere with maintaining sleep, so swap them out for relaxing alternatives like coloring or bedtime stories instead.

3. Optimize the Sleep Environment

Help your child feel at ease by crafting a space that encourages rest.

• Keep the room dark, quiet, and cool.

• Consider blackout curtains or a white noise machine to block out distractions.

• Add cozy blankets or their favorite stuffed animal for extra comfort.

  
  

4. Ease Nighttime Worries

If bedtime resistance stems from anxious thoughts, encourage your child to name their worries out loud. Writing them down in a notebook or talking about them earlier in the day might help release some tension. Relaxation activities, like mindfulness or belly breathing, can calm their nervous system and promote a smoother transition to sleep.

5. Focus on Movement During the Day

Daily exercise supports better sleep duration by helping your child use up energy. Encourage plenty of outdoor play but avoid vigorous activities too close to bedtime, as they may overstimulate their system.

6. Tweak Their Evening Meals

Steer clear of heavy meals, sugary snacks, or caffeine (hello, chocolate milk) in the evening. Opt for light, nutrient-dense options like bananas or a handful of nuts instead.

When It’s Time to Seek Help

If your child keeps showing signs of behavioral disorders, insomnia symptoms, or excessive daytime sleepiness, it might be time to consult your pediatrician. Diagnoses like behavioral treatment-resistant insomnia or diagnosed sleep disorders like sleep apnea need specialized care.

At Child Therapy Center of Los Angeles, we provide evidence-based, holistic approaches to evaluating sleep disturbances. Our therapists support families by identifying root causes, whether it’s poor sleep hygiene, unmet emotional needs, or an overworked nervous system. Then, we create tailored strategies to help your child feel safe, secure, and ready for restful, restorative sleep.

Building a Strong Foundation for Sleep

Your child deserves to feel calm and supported at bedtime. While pediatric insomnia or behavioral insomnia may feel overwhelming at first, there’s always hope. Start small by introducing positive routines and addressing worries head-on. If needed, our team is here to help with every step. Together, we’ll ensure your child gets the support they need to thrive—not just at night but during the day, too.