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Insomnias of Childhood: Assessment and Treatment

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Clinical Handbook of Insomnia

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Neurology ((CCNEU))

Abstract

Insomnia in childhood includes difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep and bedtime resistance. These sleep problems are common in childhood and largely result from interactions between the caregivers or parents and their children. However that are other causes and origins of insomnia that can include child temperament, psychopathology, or variation in sleep need that can include decreased need for sleep and atypical circadian regulation. Chronic insomnia symptoms often precipitate a range of functional daytime impairments (e.g., academic impairment, hyperactivity, inattention, irritability, tiredness) which may further undermine subsequent parent–child interactions including the transition to sleep. Evidence-based interventions for childhood insomnia can address these sleep difficulties and family stress. However, dissemination of evidence-based interventions is limited by the dearth of clinicians trained to deliver these interventions, access to sleep disorder centers, and cost. This chapter provides an overview of approaches to diagnosis and management of childhood insomnia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Children’s National Medical Center, George Washington University School of Medicine, 111 Michigan Avenue, N.W, Washington, DC, 20010, USA

    Daniel S. Lewin Ph.D.

  2. Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48106-1248, USA

    Edward Huntley Ph.D.

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  1. Daniel S. Lewin Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Daniel S. Lewin Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Hrayr P. Attarian

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Lewin, D.S., Huntley, E. (2017). Insomnias of Childhood: Assessment and Treatment. In: Attarian, H. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Insomnia. Current Clinical Neurology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41400-3_8

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