Key points about night waking problems
- there are many reasons why tamariki (children) wake during the night
- some tamariki cannot fall back to sleep without a special person, object or activity
- night terrors are when a child wakes suddenly with a loud scream or cry and may stare ahead and look terrified
- nightmares are frightening dreams that usually wake your child fully
- tamariki with anxiety can lie in bed worrying about things
- tamariki with restless legs may feel discomfort in their legs when falling asleep or during the night
This page is about sleep in primary school tamariki.
How 'sleep association' contributes to night waking problems
Some tamariki are unable to fall back to sleep without a special person, object or activity. This is called ‘sleep onset association disorder’. It can also make it hard to fall asleep at the start of the night.
Key features include:
- your child needs something (such as music or a toy) or someone (for example, Mum or Dad) to fall asleep at bedtime, or return to sleep overnight
- if that person or thing is not there, they cannot fall asleep or go back to sleep
Find out how to manage sleep association.
How 'night terrors' contribute to night waking problems
Night terrors can be very frightening for parents. Your child may wake suddenly with a loud scream or cry. When you go to them, they may stare ahead and look terrified.
They affect about 3% of tamariki and are more common when a child is unwell or overtired.
Night terrors:
- usually happen before midnight
- are not remembered in the morning (unlike nightmares)
- happen when your child is between deep and light sleep — their body is awake but their mind is not
Find out how to manage night terrors.
How nightmares contribute to night waking problems
Nightmares are frightening dreams that usually wake your child fully. They are common in tamariki, especially when they are overtired or unwell.
Nightmares:
- usually happen after midnight (unlike night terrors)
- can be remembered as a frightening dream
- happen during light sleep, so your child wakes fully and may want comfort
Find out how to manage nightmares.
How anxiety contributes to night waking problems
It is not clear how often anxiety causes sleep problems in school tamariki, but it is likely to be common.
Tamariki with anxiety may:
- lie in bed worrying
- stay in bed rather than getting in and out of bed all the time
- be a general ‘worrier’
Find out how to manage anxiety as a cause of sleep problems.
How 'restless legs' contribute to night waking problems
Tamariki with restless legs may feel discomfort in their legs when falling asleep or during the night.
Tamariki with restless legs may:
- describe the feeling as ‘creepy’, ‘crawly’, ‘pulling’, or like ‘growing pains’
- move around in bed to try to relieve the feeling
- walk or pace at bedtime
- find it hard to sit still for long
- feel tired or cranky the next day due to poor sleep
Find out how to manage restless legs.
Online sleep programme
The Good Nights Programme is a New Zealand developed sleep programme. It was originally developed to support tamariki with autism-takiwātanga. Much of the content is helpful for all parents and whānau who want to support their child to sleep better. You can work through the modules in your own time.
Find out more about sleep and the best way to support your child to improve their sleep.
Module 1: Understanding your child's sleep
Module 2: Sleep scheduling
Module 3: Creating optimum conditions for sleep
Module 4: Teaching children healthy sleep habits
Module 5: Relaxation
Module 6: Promoting sleep-conducive behaviour
Module 7: Creating a sleep support plan
Visit the Good Nights Programme website to see all the modules
Acknowledgements
Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand thank the Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, for making this content available to parents and families.
© Copyright – Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2014. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), no part of this content may be reproduced by a process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific written permission of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.
