Key points
Persistent sleep problems affect your child’s ability to sleep or settle over a long period.
Not all sleep problems are persistent. A sudden change in your child’s sleep might be a short-term sleep problem, rather than a persistent one.
You can sort out many short-term sleep problems by encouraging good sleep habits. But persistent sleep problems continue even after you introduce better sleep habits and other lifestyle changes.
Some persistent sleep problems are related to bedtime routines and sleep habits.
These problems include your child:
Some persistent sleep problems might need medical treatment. These problems include:
For example, if your child has obstructive sleep apnoea that’s caused by enlarged adenoids and tonsils, they might need an operation to remove them. This should improve your child’s breathing during sleep.
Persistent sleep problems can affect your child and your whole family, so it’s important to seek help. Persistent sleep problems usually need professional treatment.
The first step is talking with your GP about getting an assessment of your child’s sleep. You might be referred to a paediatrician, childhood sleep specialist, psychologist or other health professional who’s experienced in identifying and treating persistent sleep problems in children and teenagers.
You can also go to Australian Psychological Society – Find a psychologist to look for psychologists with expertise in sleep problems.
Very occasionally, your child’s doctor might prescribe a sleep medicine to treat your child’s persistent sleep problem. You should give your child sleep medicine only if your doctor advises you to do so and only if your doctor is supervising your child’s treatment.
Children often grow out of sleep issues like body-rocking, head-rolling and head-banging, nightmares and night terrors. If these issues aren’t upsetting your child or your family, you don’t usually need to seek help.
Persistent sleep problems usually mean not enough sleep – and not enough good-quality sleep – for your child and your family.
On top of that, if your child has a persistent sleep problem, they might have daytime problems like:
You, your partner and your other children might also have some of these daytime problems.
Caring for a child with a persistent sleep problem can disrupt the family routine. It can also cause poor sleep, stress, anxiety or even depression for you. Try to look after yourself and ask for help from family and friends. Parenting helplines can also help.
Children of all ages can have persistent sleep problems, but different problems are more common at different ages. Below are examples of persistent sleep problems at different ages.
In toddlers and preschoolers (2-5 years), common persistent sleep problems include:
In school-age children (5-8 years), common persistent sleep problems include:
In pre-teens (9-11 years), common persistent sleep problems include:
In teenagers (12-18 years), common persistent sleep problems include:
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Our content is regularly reviewed for quality and currency. The last review of this article was by Dr Mandie Griffiths, Head of Sleep Medicine, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
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