A Parent’s Nightmare: When Young Kids Can’t Sleep and How to Help Them

At the end of a long, hard day, nothing looks more inviting than a soft bed and fluffy pillow to drift off to sleep on. Until your kid wanders in and tells you he can’t sleep.

Sleep is vital for kids’ growing bodies and developing minds. Yet nearly 50 percent of children have trouble getting enough shut-eye at some point in their childhood. Along with feeling tired, sleep-deprived kids can struggle with their daytime activities – including school, hobbies and extra-curriculars.

Luckily, experts say sleep issues usually clear up by the time kids become teens. So how can you help your youngsters get the sleep they need until then? Here’s a quick primer on the most common sleep issues that affect kids and tips for helping your child cope with them.

Sleep Issues in Kids and How to Help Them

The Sleepwalker
Sleepwalking is most common in children between 4 and 8 years of age. It usually happens within an hour or two after falling asleep. An episode may last from five to 15 minutes.  Stress and fatigue are sometimes to blame. Other triggers include illness and fever. Certain medications can also cause sleepwalking.

What to do
Don’t try to wake a sleepwalking child, just lead them back to bed. If your child sleepwalks often, talk with their doctor to rule out any serious underlying causes and to form a treatment plan.

Fortunately, most kids outgrow sleepwalking. In the meantime, take these safety measures to help your child from getting hurt while sleepwalking:

• Install gates on staircases.
• Avoid the use of bunk beds.
• Clear clutter from the floor.
• Keep windows and doors locked.

Night Terrors vs. Nightmares
Night terrors and nightmares are not the same. Nightmares are common in young kids. About half of kids between the ages of 3 and 6 have frequent nightmares, says The Sleep Foundation. Night terrors are less common and affect children usually between the ages of 3 and 8. A child may have night terrors a few times a month or a few times a week, says The Sleep Foundation. Most kids stop having them by their teens. 

During a night terror, your child may bolt upright screaming and sweating. He or she may be confused and have trouble remembering the dream.

As with sleepwalking, night terrors tend to increase when children are stressed or tired.

What to do
If your youngster is afraid and can’t go back to sleep after a nightmare or night terror episode, offer reassuring hugs and soothing words until he or she is calm.

To prevent scary dreams, create and stick to a soothing pre-bed routine. Turn off tech well ahead of bedtime. If your child is younger, let them relax in a warm bath followed by a favorite story (not a scary one).

To help prevent night terrors, help your child:

• Get enough sleep on a regular basis – Sleep deprivation may be a trigger.
• Treat any underlying conditions – Any disorder that may wake your child at night can trigger night terrors by causing short awakenings.
• Avoid sleep disruptions – Block noise, keep the room temperature comfortable and possibly keep pets out of the room.

Bed-Wetting
Bed-wetting in young children is not usually a sign of trouble with potty training. It’s often a typical part of a child’s development, says The Mayo Clinic.

Factors that have been linked to an increased risk of bed-wetting include:

• Stress and anxiety – A child’s chances of wetting the bed increase after a stressful event, including a move, a new school, a new sibling or sleeping away from home.
• Family history – Kids with a parent (or two) who wet their bed as children have more of a chance of bed-wetting, too.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder – Bed-wetting is more common in kids with ADHD.
• Gender – Boys are twice as likely to wet the bed than girls.

Bed-wetting can also signal a medical problem, such as a bladder infection or urinary issue. In those cases, though, other symptoms also appear.

Bed-wetting almost always disappears by the teen years. In the meantime, it can affect a child’s self-esteem.

What to do
Here are some things you can do to keep your child from wetting the bed at night:

• Limit fluids after dinner.
• Urge your child to use the toilet before going to bed.
• Put a rubber or plastic cover between the sheet and mattress to protect the bed when accidents happen.
• Ban teasing any child who wets the bed.

Talk to your child’s doctor about a treatment plan if these steps don’t help. He or she may recommend bladder-stretching exercises to help increase the amount of time between urinating. Prescription medicines may also be available.

The Night Owls
Research shows some kids are “wired” to stay up late. Just like some are early risers. Studies have identified four types of sleepers: larks, morning types, evening types and owls.

If your child is a night owl, your idea of a proper bedtime may not be very different from theirs. Chalk it up to genetics – which has a strong influence over our internal clocks. But so does the environment.

What to do
If you worry your owl isn’t getting enough rest, try these sleep-inducing strategies:

• Cut off soft drinks and anything with caffeine at least six hours before bedtime.
• Stick to a regular bedtime every night.
• Set the mood for snoozing with a relaxing routine. A warm bath after dinner and favorite bedtime story may do the trick.
• Make your child’s bedroom a dark, quiet, TV-free zone that isn’t too warm or cold. Turn off all mobile devices, too.
• Older children might benefit from simple yoga or stretching, deep breathing or even meditation. 

Good sleep is important not just to feel less tired the next day, but also for overall health and well-being. Use these tips to help your child sleep better. It’s never too early to set your kids on a path to deep, restorative sleep and its many health benefits.

Sources: Sleep Disorders in Children,  National Sleep Foundation, 2022; Bed-wetting,  Mayo Clinic, 2023; Are Some Kids Just Night Owls?,  Today’s Parents, 2021; Sleep Disorders in Children,  Healthline, 2024; Nightmares in Children,  The Sleep Foundation, 2023; Night Terrors: Causes and Tips for Prevention,  The Sleep Foundation, 2024