For kids, 'the key is the wake-up time'
Children’s sleep troubles can turn home life upside down, but parents can help set things straight if they spend less energy enforcing bedtimes and more time making sure kids get up on time, says Mack Stephenson, a Meridian child psychologist with kids of his own. Here’s a synopsis of his views on kids and sleep.
How common are sleep problems in children?
I think it’s very prevalent. I would say that a large portion of the kids I see with difficulties of one kind or another has sleep problems.
What can parents do?
The key is the wake-up time. Everything pivots on that. In many ways, the bedtime will take care of itself if wake-up time is stable. Let’s say my dad grew up on a dairy farm. My dad didn’t care when I went to bed, but when 4 a.m. came, it was time to get up and do chores. When you know 4 a.m. is coming, it’s very motivating. I want the kids up at the same time every day. I don’t care what time they went to bed. I care when they get up. After a while, your body will tell you when to go to bed. Kids adjust. It takes some moxie on the parents’ part. You can’t make them go to sleep, but you can make them get up, even if it takes a squirt bottle.
Can kids and parents make up a sleep debt by sleeping late on Saturday and Sunday?
It’s a poor excuse for normal, but it’s better than nothing. Is it efficient? No.
Can sleep problems disguise themselves as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorders?
Many times, you think your kid is not sleeping, that is a sign of another disorder. You see kids who are tired, fidgety, restless, chronically overtired. Every child is different, and you would need a real evaluation to know. In my experience, if you fix sleep, you fix almost everything. We know of no connection between sleep problems and autism, but I do see autistic kids who are up in the night. Make sure the kid is safe. Put deadbolts on the door or do whatever it takes.
What are other causes of sleep problems?
If parents come in and tell me their 4-year-old child snores like Darth Vader or a chain saw, the problem could be large tonsils that need to come out, or it could be sleep apnea — a condition in which people stop breathing multiple times during the night. The child may need to go to a sleep lab.
Call psychologist Mack Stephenson at 288-0692. His office is at 3023 E. Copper Point Drive, Suite 205, Meridian.