5 Year Old Barely Sleeps!

Hi T.,

Have you ever noticed her snoring or choking when she does sleep? I would be curious if she has a sleep apnea problem. My husband has it, and I had it. If you have noticed this, I would push your pediatrician to have her tested. Most pediatricians wont unless you are persistant. If thats the case, it is a serious issue. Sleep apnea deprives the brain of oxygen and can affect memory and learning. At this tender age, you would want to take care of it before it becomes a larger issue. I hope this is not her problem, and I also hope you find a solution. Good Luck!

Hi T.,
From what I know, children can absolutly have sleep disorders but it could be related to any number of things ranging from adhd to vitamin deficiencies! I was wondering though if your daughter takes naps? If so, maybe try cutting the nap to make bedtime easier? Sounds to me though that your problem is bigger than that and your need to talk to a specialist. Your doctor should be able to refer you to an actual sleep specialist for children who could really help you. Good luck! i'd love to hear the outcome!

maybe you should speak with your doctor and see if she does have a sleeping disorder or at the natural living center they have a liquid for kids and its all natural herbs to help them sleep i gave it to my son when he was teething he was haven problems and they recommended it and it does work.

Hi T..
My 17 yo son had sleep problems when he was a young toddler. He would scream in his sleep - a blood-curdling scream. He even had trouble waking up from these episodes. After a couple of months of this going on, I made a appointment w/the pediatrician and talked to him about it. His pediatrician said it was Night Terrors. He, the pediatrician, told me that there were no cures or medication available to help. He told me that when the screaming would wake me, I'd have to wake my son up... That after he got back to sleep, it shouldn't happen again during that night. After awhile, about a year I'd say, it finally stopped.
So, my advice to you and your husband is to talk w/your pediatrician's office (if you don't have an appointment for her coming up anytime soon) and get some suggestions from them. Good luck.

My son does not do what your daughter does but he does have sleep issues so I figured I would respond. He is almost 3 but seince he was 2 he has what is known as night terrors, It is a form of sleep walking, where he gets up and screams for a bit (and there is nothing I can do about it) and then he quiets and goes back to sleep. I also have an almost 8 month old that shares the room with him, your baby will adapt, because my youngest sleeps right thru it now, at first it was really hard. I figured I would start them togather young so my youngest would adapt and get used to the noise, and it worked. So I am sorry that I cant help with your oldest, but I can say that it does get better. Talk to your Ped. they diagnosed my boy really quick and told us how to deal with him.
Good luck and have a good day

Hi, my daughter had night terrors from two up until recently. When the night terrors finally stopped, I noticed she would stop breathing in her sleep. I had a sleep study done on her when she was 5 yrs old, and she has border line sleep apnea, you have to stop breathing so many times in your sleep and she was a few numbers under. After the sleep study, she would walk around in her sleep crying, I had many sleepless nights, then one day I decided to sit her on the toilet, she went to the bathroom and went back to bed. She is finally sleeping through the night at age 9. But it took a long time. Sorry this is so long, but as you can see, my answer to your question is yes small children can have sleep disorders.