Almost every night, five-year-old Holden gets up in the wee hours and makes a beeline for his parents? bed. If his mom, Allison Colpitts, walks Holden back to his room, he?ll boomerang back, so she lets him stay. But Holden?s fidgeting has Dad retreating to his son?s room.
The Colpitts are far from alone. It?s not uncommon for school-age kids to require sleep training. Close to 40 percent of kids will have some kind of sleep-related problem before age 18, says Valerie Kirk, medical director of the Paediatric Sleep Service at Alberta Children?s Hospital. ?Sleep problem? is a broad term that includes any issue related to falling or staying asleep that impacts the child or family.
According to the Canadian Sleep Society, 40 percent of young children are sleep deprived. Lack of sleep can affect a child?s growth, development, learning and behaviour. But finding solutions is a process that takes time, says Michelle Ponti, a paediatrician in London, Ont. Experts recommend starting with good ?sleep hygiene?: keeping a consistent and calming bedtime routine, with a room that?s primed for sleep?cool temperature, comfortable bedding and a soft night light. If you?re still having issues, here?s how you can deal with the top four sleep problems.
Bedtime refusal

These kids are masters of the curtain call, popping out of bed to ask for one more glass of water, hug, etc. Ponti sometimes suggests a ?visual schedule? that shows pictures of the nighttime routine, such as toothbrush, toilet...