Posts filed under 'Childhood Problems'
Night Terrors
Child Night Terrors
Night terrors are not the same as nightmares and the two need different approaches from the parent. The best way to handle a night terror is not the same as the way most of us would deal with a child having a nightmare.
We all have dreams and a nightmare is really just a dream with unpleasant or scary content. Children seem to dream more than adults and as result they seem to have more nightmares. Children may also be less able to understand the difference between the dream state and reality - causing them to become distressed by the experience of the nightmare.
Night terrors are more than simply a bad dream. A night terror is a form of altered sleep, sometimes called a parasomnia. It is very rare for adults to experience night terrors.
With a nightmare
- the child will nearly always wake up and be distressed
- you can comfort a child after a nightmare
- the child can often remember some of the content of the nightmare
- the nightmare usually happens later in the night
- the nightmare happens during the light stages sleep
- if your child has had a nightmare then they may be afraid of going back to sleep.
With a night terror
- the child will not wake up - even if their eyes are open, they are not awake and cannot recognise you or communicate with you
- avoid trying to wake your child as they will become very confused and often frightened
- the night terror happens earlier in the night during deep sleep
- night terrors happen earlier in the night - usually in the first four hours of sleep
- the content of a night terror is usually completely forgotten.
- the altered state during a night terror is not unlike that seen during sleepwalking and the two conditions can co-exist
- night terrors that last longer than 30 minutes should be assessed by a doctor in case medication is required
- night terrors with associated jerking movements may indicate a form of epilepsy and should be assessed by a doctor
- night terrors are often more frequent when the child is overly tired - getting into a good and regular sleep routine can be very helpful
Children usually settle back into deep sleep quickly after a night terror - stay with them for ten minutes or so to make sure that they are safe in bed and comfortable.
Neither nightmares nor night terrors are harmful for the child and are simply a reflection of the childs active and developing mind.
January 10th, 2006
Wet the bed?
Bedwetting Treatments
Bedwetting Tablet
New research has moved us closer to discovering the true cause of bedwetting and thus to providing a more effective treatment.
It used to be thought that bedwetting at night was caused by having too small a bladder. Old fashioned treatments included stretching the bladder by “bladder retraining” techniques. These treatments for bedwetting did not work well.
We now know that bedwetting is not caused by having a small bladder. The problem often truly relates to the fact that some children produce too little of a hormone called ADH or anti-diuretic hormone. ADH is produced by the brain at night to shut down the kidneys and lessens the flow of urine. Children with too little ADH will produce too much night time urine.
A nasal spray or tablet called Desmopressin helps resolve this ADH problem.
Desmopressin can also treat many men who urinate frequently at night, and do not have a prostate infection or cancer. Lack of antidiuretic hormone is genetic because fathers and mothers have children who also are bed wetters.
Wetting the bed is very common in children up to eight years old and most children who wet the bed develop into entirely healthy adults who have no such problems.
Children who are still wetting the bed after age five should see a doctor for some tests. They need to be checked for kidney infection or for kidney abnormalities. Sometimes other tests are required. No cause is found in most cases. There is no good evidence that bedwetting is related to emotional or behaviour problems
Research has shown that desmopressin spray is effective for bed wetting but the most recent studies point towards the fact that the desmopressin tablets are even more effective
If your child is a bedwetter then you should discuss these options with your doctor
January 9th, 2006
Treatment for Bedwetting
Bedwetting Cure
Families often struggle to deal with a bedwetting child. The child too can find the going very tough - both physically and emotionally. Frustration, despondency and sometimes anger can all occur in the face of a serious or frequent bedwetting situation. The problem can be eased however if both parents and child can be well enought informed about bedwetting to see things clearly for what they are. Reassurance can go a long way to defusing a fraught situation
Bedwetting children often seem to be deeper sleepers than other children - some also suffer from sleep walking, nightmares or night terrors.
These are some common causes of bedwetting in an older child (remember that bed wetting in a younger child is simply part of normal growing up and does not need specific treatment)
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smaller than average bladder
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over production of urine due to high fluid intake
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physical causes are rare
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spinal cord lesions are very very rare
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congenital malformations of the genitourinary tract can be picked up by special x-rays
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infections of the urinary tract
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diabetes may need to be excluded if the problems persist
The most important aspect of treatment is to reassure the child. Tell them repeatedly that its not their fault and that things will get better with time. There’s some evidence that bedwetting runs in families - perhaps the child can speak to someone else in the family who has dealt with it in the past
Treatments for bedwetting include
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padding at night to allow normal social interactions - sleepovers etc.
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fluid limitation before bedtime
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lifting and toileting before the parents go to bed
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buzzer alarm and pad systems
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hypnosis
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medication
Whatever method you choose to help your child over this hurdle in life, the most important thing to remember is that bedwetting can have a devastating effect on their self-esteem. It is so important to make sure that they know that the fault is not theirs, there isn’t anything that they have done to cause this and that they will grow out of it.
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January 9th, 2006
