Your child isn't sleeping. Let's find out why.
Most sleep advice assumes every problem is a habit. Some are. Some aren't. This is physician-led, evidence-based information you can use tonight.
Start with your child's age
What's normal at six months isn't normal at six years. Pick the age closest to your child.
Aged 1 to 5 years
The nap drop, bedtime battles, stalling, night fears, and snoring.
See what's normalAged 13 to 18 years
Late nights, early school starts, and why "go to bed earlier" doesn't work.
See what's normalSomething doesn't feel right
Some sleep problems aren't habits. They're medical, and they're often missed, because a tired child at night can look like a busy or distracted child during the day. If you recognize several of these, it's worth a conversation with your child's doctor.
Worth asking about
- Snoring most nights of the week
- Breathing through the mouth while asleep
- Pauses in breathing, gasping, or snorting
- Sleeping with the neck stretched back or sitting up
- Heavy sweating during sleep
- Bedwetting that returns after your child was dry at night
- Morning headaches
- Daytime sleepiness, or trouble focusing and sitting still
- An uncomfortable, restless feeling in the legs at bedtime
- A teen who can't fall asleep before very late, no matter how early bedtime starts
None of these means something is definitely wrong, and this page can't diagnose your child. Write down what you're seeing, how often, and how long it's been happening, and bring it to your child's doctor.
This page provides educational and informational content on pediatric sleep health for general purposes only. Nothing here constitutes medical advice, a clinical diagnosis, or a substitute for professional medical consultation. Parents and caregivers should consult their child's physician before changing care or treatment. In a medical emergency, contact your local emergency services immediately.
Physician-led, not algorithm-led
Written by Dr. Anya McLaren-Barnett, a pediatric respirologist and sleep medicine physician, who founded The Sleep Health Organization and trains clinicians through SHIP®. Too many families are told to wait it out, and too many treatable sleep problems go unnamed. That's the sleep gap. This is how we close it. Read our story
OWL magazine, Owlkids
The Sleep Health Organization in the Insider section, on why having trouble falling asleep is common.
Dr. Anya McLaren-Barnett is one of the physicians behind this health resource for families, written by Black providers.
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Resources
For families and sleep enthusiasts
Plain-language articles on the questions parents ask most, as we navigate the world of sleep together.
