You said that your child has problems falling asleep at bedtime. You may also notice that your child
wakes up at night and has a hard time going back to sleep. His/her sleep problems may only happen when
s/he has a cold or is sick. Sometimes stressful things make it hard for children to fall asleep.
Some examples are:
Watching a scary TV show or movie
Parents' divorce
Death in the family
Moving to a new home
Switching child care centers
Bad dreams
Worries or fears
Your child may have problems falling asleep because you have a hard time setting limits. Your
child may "stall" and try to avoid going to bed. S/he may do things like ask for more hugs/kisses, a drink
of water, or an extra book/song. Sometimes children do this because they are feeling stressed or worried.
Some things that may cause problems with sleep in the preschool years include:
Teaching child to use the toilet
Starting preschool
Going back to preschool/school after a vacation
Some medical problems can also cause problems with sleep. If your child has stomach pains, diarrhea,
or asthma, this can make it hard for him/her to fall and stay asleep. If your child has a chronic illness this
could also cause problems with his/her sleep.
Warning Signs that things are getting worse:
Your child starts having trouble falling asleep even when s/he is not sick.
Your child is so tired during the day that this begins to cause problems for him/her.
Your child may have problems staying awake during the day. S/he may seem more irritable or tired.
Your child's problems with falling asleep at night are so bad that you are not getting
enough sleep at night. This makes it hard for you to get through your day.
If you think these problems are getting worse talk to your child's doctor, even if you have discussed
these things before.
Adapted in part from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual for Primary Care (DSM-PC) (1996).
