Many children have difficulty getting a full night’s rest because of various sleep problems. Common difficulties that interfere with sleep include:

• Insomnia. A condition in which a child has trouble falling asleep or remaining asleep. Typically, children with insomnia do not feel refreshed after a night’s sleep. There are many different potential causes of child insomnia. Insomnia is considered a type of dyssomnia, which involve disturbances in the amount and quality of sleep.
  
  
• Bedwetting. Also known as enuresis, this condition is relatively common in children up to about age 5. About 14 percent of preschoolers and 4 percent of school-aged children wet the bed a few nights a week, according to the National Sleep Foundation. When regular bedwetting continues past preschool age, it may indicate the presence of stress, a sleep disorder or a medical condition. Some children experience such deep sleep that messages sent about the need to urinate from the bladder to the brain do not generate the normal response to waken.
  
  
• Disordered breathing during sleep. Snoring is a relatively common sleep problem caused by blockages in the airway due to enlarged adenoids or tonsils. About one in five children of preschool or school age snore, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Sleep apnea is a potentially more serious sleep disorder in which children temporarily stop breathing during sleep. Snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea. Children diagnosed with sleep apnea may become drowsy during the day and may display hyperactivity and learning problems. Obesity can contribute to the development of sleep apnea in children, as well as in adults.
  
  
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS). A condition that causes uncomfortable feelings in the legs when not in motion, and causes the child to move the legs almost continuously. Such movements can interfere with proper rest, and children who regularly experience episodes of RLS lose an hour of sleep per night and are twice as likely to awaken at night when compared to their peers. In some children RLS is linked to low iron or vitamin levels.
  
  
• Nightmares and sleep terrors. Nightmares are “bad dreams” that typically occur later in the night during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. They are normal in children and often occur when the child has experienced recent stress or change. In some cases, persistent nightmares can prevent children from getting the sleep they need. Sleep terrors are uncontrollable screaming by a child that occurs during sleep. In most cases, the child falls asleep again shortly after the terror subsides and has no memory of the event the next day. It is usually best not to try to wake the child during a sleep terror. Inadequate sleep or an irregular bedtime schedule may contribute to the development of night terrors in children.
  
  
• Sleepwalking and sleeptalking. Some children may make audible sounds during sleep, including crying, laughing or talking. This is known as sleeptalking (somniloquy), and it is usually harmless. Other children may get out of bed during the night and begin to walk while remaining asleep. Sleepwalking (somnambulism) usually occurs between the ages of 3 and 7 years, and an episode typically lasts anywhere from five to 20 minutes. It is sometimes a sign of sleep apnea. As with sleep terrors, it usually is best not to wake a child who is sleepwalking, but rather parents should gently lead them back to bed. Both sleepwalking and sleep talking are considered types of parasomnias, which involve abnormal events that occur during sleep.
  
  
• Rhythmic movement disorder. This condition is common in infants and young children, and involves the child making repetitive movements immediately before falling asleep. The movements include head banging, head rolling, or rocking of the body. The movements may persist while the child enters light sleep, and frequently involve the muscles of the head and neck.
  
  
• Narcolepsy. A condition in which a child experiences excessive sleepiness and sudden “attacks” of sleep that can occur at any time. This condition may develop as early as age 10, but is more likely to occur during puberty or early adulthood.

Disrupted sleep can trigger other negative health consequences for children, including learning problems and daytime sleepiness. Children who do not sleep well become more fatigued, which may lead to falls and other accidents. In contrast, some children with sleeping problems become hyperactive during daytime hours and may display aggressive behavior.