Sleep disorders

How can I tell if my child has sleep problems?

To help assess whether babies and children have a sleep issue I will generally use a list of questions to identify what the issues are so we can be focused when moving forward.

If you answer ‘yes’ to more than two of these questions you may like to seek some advice from a Sleep Consultant to discuss more fully your individual situation

• Do you have to wake your child every morning?
• Does your child sleep in at weekends?
• Does your child get cranky, irritable, aggressive, very emotional during the day?
• Does your child have trouble concentrating during the day?
• Does your child often fall asleep in the car?
• Is your child hyperactive at a time you would expect them to be tired?
• Does your child nod off whilst watching TV?
• Does your child fall asleep at other times of the day?
• Does your child suck their thumb, finger, dummy at times other than bedtime?
• Does your child get bad tempered, irritable, defiant at the end of the day?
• Does your child wake frequently at night?
• On some nights does your child fall asleep much earlier than their normal bedtime?
• Does your child take longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep?
• Do you have to wake your child every morning?
• Does your child sleep in at weekends?
• Does your child get cranky, irritable, aggressive, very emotional during the day?
• Does your child have trouble concentrating during the day?
• Does your child often fall asleep in the car?
• Is your child hyperactive at a time you would expect them to be tired?
• Does your child nod off whilst watching TV?
• Does your child call out frequently in the night?
• Is your baby unsettled and crying out but is pushing you away when you hold them?
• Does your child become defiant towards bedtime?
• Does your child return downstairs after being put to bed?
• Does your child regularly come in to your room during the night?
• Does your child show signs of being anxious or afraid of bedtime?
• Does your baby resist day time naps?
• Does your child set their own rules at bedtimes
• Does your child fall asleep at other times of the day?
• Does your child suck their thumb, finger, dummy at times other than bedtime?
• Does your child get bad tempered, irritable, defiant at the end of the day?
• Does your child wake frequently at night?
• On some nights does your child fall asleep much earlier than their normal bedtime?
• Does your child take longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep?
• Do you as the parent dread bedtimes?
• Does your baby need to be rocked or fed to fall asleep?
• Does your baby or child ‘fight’ sleep at night?