Kids are very fragile human beings. Not getting enough sleep will show through the work they put into school, playing at home, and their social interactions throughout the day.

They may be feeling fatigued all the time and complaining of physical symptoms such as head aches or an upset stomach.

If they are not getting the recommended amount of sleep every night, there may be a few reasons why this is happening. It can range from normal stress to traumatic events.

Normal stress entails situations like a fight with a good friend, homework from school, or a family member moving away. All of these events can trigger stress and make it harder for your little one to sleep or they may be having troubles with nightmares.

More stress that may affect your child are situations that may be more serious. Death is a huge reason for kids getting lack of sleep, and is more likely if the death was that of a close family member or friend.

Traumatic events such as sexual, emotional, or physical abuse of the child can be the culprit as well. If the child is observing these types of abuse inside the home, it may be the reason why they are having problems at night.

If you are worried about your child and how much sleep he or she gets, make sure you talk to them (if they are old enough) and ask them why they are upset or what is bugging them. Sometimes an intervention of a doctor or psychologist is the best route to take.

Sleep is vital for children to function properly during the day in preschool, kindergarten, daycare, or wherever they go during the day. Even for stay-at-home toddlers, it is very important for them to get all of their recommended hours of shut-eye.


Although sleep is extremely important for kids, they may not be getting enough of it.


If you think your child is not getting enough sleep, pay attention to the signs and clues. Your child may be very irritable during the day and not willing to listen. Appetites may change and they may complain about bodily issues like headaches and tummy aches.


Take a look at what they are doing at night. If they go to bed late, it may affect how much sleep they initially get. Another thing to look for is how they are sleeping when they do fall asleep. A lot of tossing and turning may indicate a sleeping problem.


If they are complaining almost daily about nightmares, or they wake you up at night with moaning or screaming, that may be the reason why they are not getting enough sleep.


Children are very sensitive beings and events that you may think are little may be enormous to them. The death of a close family member, the divorce of parents, a traumatic event, or even a friend moving away may change their sleeping patterns. For toddlers, even moving furniture around in their room can upset them enough to where it affects their sleep.


If you suspect that your child is suffering from sleeping problems, get them checked out at your local physician. Your child needs just as much sleep as you do, so make sure you do everything you can to help them get it!