Sleep Problems
Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics knowledgeable in disorders of sleep located in Portland, OR, providing virtual care throughout Washington and Oregon.
Sleep Problems Services Offered in Portland, OR
Most parents are well aware of sleep problems in adults, but they often don’t realize that 20-25% of children also suffer from conditions that disrupt their sleep, affect their wellbeing, and create anxiety of sleeping. At Orchid Pediatrics, Joy Eberhardt, MD, FAAP, specializes in finding the cause of children’s sleep problems, then providing whole-person care that helps them return to a healthy sleep-wake cycle and get a good night’s sleep. To get help for your child’s sleep problems, call the office in Portland, Oregon, or book an in-person or telemedicine appointment online today.
How Do Sleep Problems Affect Children’s Health?
When you sleep, you go through different cycles that have varying effects on your mind and body. During the varying sleep stages, your heart and respiratory system relax (getting a much-needed rest), your immune system strengthens, and you dream. While dreaming, your brain stores memories.
Disrupted sleep cycles impair thinking, diminish emotional regulation, raise blood pressure, and lower neurotransmitter levels. Sleep problems increase your child’s risk for weight gain, mood swings, memory problems, and brain fog.
What Causes Sleep Problems in Children?
Children have difficulty sleeping if they have an exciting day and can’t calm down at bedtime. Or maybe they napped too long and don’t feel tired.
Keeping the lights on also disrupts sleep, especially if it’s blue light from electronic devices. Blue light suppresses the hormone (melatonin) that makes you feel drowsy.
However, children can also develop sleep disorders, including:
- Insomnia
- Sleep apnea
- Narcolepsy
- Sleepwalking
- Circadian rhythm disorder
- Restless leg syndrome
- Sleep-disordered breathing
- Periodic limb movement disorder
Developmental and mental health disorders also alter the sleep-wake cycle, making it hard for children to get restorative sleep. Sleep problems are closely associated with:
- Autism
- Down syndrome
- Developmental delays
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
As a developmental and behavioral practice, Orchid Pediatrics specializes in treating children with co-occurring developmental disorders and sleeping problems.
What Symptoms Signal a Sleep Problem?
Children with sleep problems have daytime symptoms such as excessive tiredness, irritability, hyperactivity, and angry outbursts. If they have narcolepsy, they have sudden sleep attacks during the day.
During the night, they have symptoms such as:
Loud snoring
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Unusual movements while they sleep
Sleepwalking
Teeth grinding
Nightmares or night terrors
Urge to move their legs
Uncomfortable sensations in their legs
Infants with sleep problems may rock and bang their heads against a crib.
How Are Sleep Problems Treated?
Before recommending treatment, your Orchid Pediatrics provider diagnoses the cause of your sleep problems. Depending on your symptoms, medical history, and physical exam, they may need to do a blood workup, psychiatric evaluation, and/or sleep study.
There are many possible treatments, beginning with improving their sleep hygiene and treating any underlying health conditions. However, cognitive behavioral therapy is the gold standard for insomnia and many mental health disorders.
If your child has trouble sleeping, call Orchid Pediatrics or book an appointment online today.
Contact Orchid Pediatrics
Use the brief form below to contact developmental pediatrician, Joy Eberhardt.
Phone & Email
info@orchidpediatrics.com
Office Location
4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.
Suite 301
Portland, OR 97225
