Who hasn't had nightmares when he was a child ? Or bed-wetting? Sleep disorders in children are very difficult to diagnose, because it is not unusual for a child to suffer from sleep troubles.
For many children there are times when bed-wetting or sleep talking occur because of bad dreams or illness.
Newborn babies need time to find their sleep rhythm in the first month after birth.
However, you may find a more serious sleeping disorder in children if they have a severe health problem.
Besides sleep apnea, the most common sleep disorders in children are sleep terror, narcolepsy, sleep walking, sleep talking, and bed-wetting:
Narcolepsy in children can cause excessive sleepiness during the day, sleep paralysis and hallucinations.
A child with narcolepsy may feel tired more often than normal. They can fall asleep in school, in a bus, or in a pool.
A parent will think the child is daydreaming, like many other children. You can see why a sleep disorder in children is so difficult to diagnose.
Another symptom of narcolepsy is when the child is unable to move. This sleep paralysis can be scary for him because he may experience hallucinations and paralysis in the same time.
Imagine if you wake up in the middle of the night and you see a monster in your bedroom, and you cannot move away from it because your muscle are paralyzed. Now imagine that you have 5 years old. Pretty scary, huh?
Sleep terror disorder is a cause of sleeplessness in children.
If your child has night fears, then typically has an aversion to being alone in his bedroom at night. He will be even more frightened if the light is missing.
Night terrors in children may be seen between ages 3 to 6, when children's imagination is maturing. For example, I remember that when I was a little boy, I imagine that if I fall asleep at the edge of the bed, a claw will drag me under the bad.
Bed-wetting is source of embarrassment for children and frustration for parents. It is a common sleep disorder, affecting many children and some adolescents.
Some children, may have a health problem which can trigger bed-wetting.
Constipation, diabetes, urinary tract infections or obstruction may be to blame for this problem.
Other cause for bed-wetting may be emotional problems, including stress from parents or from school. Dreaming about making his needs at the bathroom is an example of emotional issue that caused bed-wetting.
Sleep talking and sleep walking are another common sleep disorders in children. There are typically mild, but when these disorders become severe and dangerous to the sleeper, medical care is advised.
If you find your child in other room in the morning and he can't remember how he got there, talk with a pediatrician. He may recommend a sleep center evaluation.
To prevent any problem, lock the doors and windows each night and collect all objects that could cause injury.
Sleep talking sometimes accompanies sleepwalking, but often you will not understand what your child is saying. You may see a child urinating on the wall, speaking obscene words, running and screaming, or hitting an object and injure himself.
Doctors and scientist are not sure why people sleepwalk, but they think there may be a genetic cause. Stress or medications may also play a role.
In any case, if a child is violent in his sleepwalking, involving physical injury, or he leaves the house, the family should contact a medic immediately.
Childhood is a time of learning and growth. In order for a child to develop, he must be awake and alert, able to interact with the world an learn from it. That's why your child needs to careful eliminate the problems that lead to excessive drowsiness.
Who hasn't had nightmares when he was a child ? Or bed-wetting? 
