Yes, children can have insomnia and it is estimated that 10-30% of children have a sleep problem during childhood.
Their sleeplessness or sleep problem may be much like an adults', meaning they either can't fall asleep, fall asleep but then awaken prematurely, or have a condition like sleep apnea that affects the quality of their sleep so that they are never fully rested.
There are drugs that doctors sometimes prescribe.
But before doing anything as drastic as giving your child strong drugs that may have side effects, a holistic, natural way to get your child to sleep may be the answer.
In other words, Drugs are probably not the answer for your child's insomnia.
You should be aware that the prescription and over the counter drugs that are sold for adults with sleep problems are not prescribed for children.
There are some natural remedies, such as melatonin or chamomile, but while they may help you child to relax, he or she may need more such as relaxation and breathing techniques.
Here are some more suggestions for childhood insomnia and sleep problems...
1.
Start with a good schedule and stick to it.
It is a matter of conditioning and keeping the same schedule and routines before going to bed will help your child's inner clock to start winding down.
Help your child to learn that going to bed means going to sleep by restricting time spent in bed.
In other words, no reading or television watching in bed.
2.
The best way to calm and still your child's mind is to restrict stimulating activities about an hour before bed time.
That means no television, talking on the phone, playing video games, etc.
3.
Obviously, caffeine and other stimulants should be avoided.
Sugary snacks should not be eaten after suppertime.
4.
Sometimes, if a child doesn't fall asleep within a half an hour, it is good to let him or her get out of bed and sit in a chair and read, quietly.
5.
Regular exercise throughout the day helps a child to sleep better as well.
6.
You can also teach your little one about diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation techniques that have been shown to help a child to sleep.
Some of the new aids in the age old struggle to get little ones to sleep are MP3's with specially engineered music and cues to help a child to fall asleep naturally.