Sleeping trouble

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Updated on Sep 05, 2012
My daughter is 5. From the age of 6 months she has been sleeping through the night. When she used to nap in the afternoon, she would sleep late at night, after 11 pm for sure. However, when she started school, she sleeps at 10 pm and sleeps till 8 am. Lately however, I am seeing a change in her pattern. Even after an active day of school and extracurriculars, she has trouble falling asleep at night. She will usually lie awake for more than an hour after being put to bed, lights off and all necessary environment as before. I read somewhere that this is the age when kids do have trouble falling asleep. Is this true or do I have something to worry about?

| Sep 06, 2012
Hey Payal , How much sleep a child needs varies from one to another which means that for some children a 8 hour sleep is good while others might need 10- 11 hours in the day . Children at age 5 are just getting used to some major changes in the their little lives (starting serious school is one of them ) which can be a contributing factor to the change in behavior. They are experimenting with pushing their boundaries and limits and also asserting their new found independence ( we are always telling them that they are now grown up and not little babies anymore). Hence this change in sleep pattern is normal and most children go through it ( i know , mine did too ). You can do the following to facilitate the change : 1. Stick to a routine 2. Make sure to limit the electronic stimulants before sleep time 3. Keep the room comfortable. She will definitely fall into a pattern in a few days. the other important thing is to keep a check on the child , if she starts to show symptom of sleep deprivation i. e, hyperactivity , Crankiness , Memory or Concentration problems them you must go in for a medical consultation .