Sleep Drunkenness In Children
Some parents find it costly for our children to go to bed at night. There are children who are nervous and find it difficult to fall asleep and wake up in the morning; even some little ones wake up disoriented. This may be due to the disorder known as “sleep drunkenness”, which we are going to talk about next.
When a child wakes up as if he is still sleeping, he may have this disorder. According to the Sleep Chair at the University of Granada-Lo Mónaco Group, around 17% of children suffer from it occasionally or frequently.
What is sleep drunkenness and at what ages does it appear?
Sleep drunkenness is a disorder also known as confusional arousal . It is so designated because the symptoms are similar to those that occur in people who go intoxicated. It appears when the person wakes up and is very disoriented for a few minutes, he is not able to respond to external stimuli and some of his mental faculties are diminished.
It can appear at any age, even in adulthood, but it is most common to appear between the ages of 3 and 13. The latest research from the University of Granada, as we say, places it at around 17% of children who suffer from it.
What are the symptoms of sleep drunkenness?
These episodes of disorientation appear more often when children are called earlier than usual. Some characteristic symptoms are
- Mental confusion.
- Spatial and temporal disorientation.
- Memory failures.
- In some cases, moments of amnesia (total or partial).
- Appearance of abnormal behaviors, such as yelling, crying or even trying to hit.
These symptoms usually appear especially when the child wakes up in the middle of a deep sleep phase or when he wakes up after having slept through the night.
What can we do if we notice the symptoms in our children?
One of the main factors in the appearance of drunkenness in children and adolescents is the delay in sleep schedules. In the mornings, when they wake up for class, they are still in the deep sleep phase and therefore their brain is still asleep and it takes time to activate.
Raising children gradually, exposing them to natural light, and preventing them from using electronic devices at night are three measures that can be effective in treating this disorder. If this persists and does not improve, it is best to consult your doctor.
Does drunken sleep have consequences on children’s development?
This disorder does not usually have negative consequences. It is considered an alteration that is not serious and that normally disappears with age. As it appears occasionally, it does not harm the development of the child, although if it appears frequently, the doctor will have to determine what it is due to.
What is your treatment?
By following correct hygiene rules and a series of recommendations, the disorder may disappear. During the REM phase is when the little ones usually have spontaneous awakenings and where the most intense dreams appear.
If the child usually goes to bed late and has a lack of sleep all week, when we force him to wake up in the morning he can do it in the deep sleep phase and that is when the drunken sleep may appear.
Recommendations for parents of children with sleep drunkenness
If this disorder appears frequently in the child, it is necessary to consult with the doctor to determine the cause of its appearance. This disorder is closely related to stress and anxiety at bedtime, so it would be advisable to follow some rules of sleep hygiene, such as the following:
- Do sports every day : this physical activity never has to be done 3 hours before going to bed, since if this is the case, sport would go from being a beneficial resource to making it difficult to fall asleep, due to the release of endorphins when exercising.
- Avoid large and late dinners : children should make a light dinner and make it early so that digestion does not make it difficult for them to fall asleep.
- Exposure to daylight when they get up : this helps synchronize sleep with the day-night cycle.
- Do not use electronic devices or watch stimulating series and movies before going to sleep. It should not be forgotten that there should not be any mobile phone in the child’s or adolescent’s room, since the vibration or sound could produce fragmentation of the sleep, so it would not be restorative.
In short, sleep drunkenness is a benign disorder in children that usually disappears with age. It is important to remember that, if it appears frequently, consult your doctor to determine the cause of this alteration.
Now you know something more about this alteration and what are the recommendations that you can follow so that this situation improves. You just have to start them so that your child has a restful sleep.
