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Coping with
Infant Sleep Disorders
Unfortunately,
sleep disorders can
plague infants as well as adults. There are many
types of infant sleep disorders, however a
physician is often the only person who can properly diagnose them. Infants have
irregular sleep
patterns because of their need to frequently eat. There are some sleep
disorders that are learned behavior instead of a legitimate disease.
These
types of sleep disorders can be overcome without medication by changing
the
child's environment and gently teaching them to improve their sleep
habits. As a child
gets older, they go
through a period of having nightmares. Sleep terrors or night terrors
are other
forms of sleep disorders. The child usually outgrows these forms of
sleep
disorders. Infant sleep
apnea is defined as an
infant who stops breathing for short periods of time in their sleep.
This type
of sleep disorder is diagnosed most in premature babies. In fact, it is
a
proven fact that a premature baby is more likely to have sleep apnea
than a
baby that is born at full term. Usually, all
that is needed is to
rub the baby's back or nudge them and they will start breathing on
their own
again. In rare cases, infant CPR is needed to revive the baby. Bringing home an infant
who suffers from
sleep apnea is a very scary time in any parent's life. The fear of
their child
stopping breathing in the middle of the night can cause any parent to
sit up
all night beside the crib. Before any
hospital releases a baby
who has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, the parent or parents are
required to
go through an infant CPR course. When the baby
is released, it is
usually with a piece of machinery called an apnea monitor. This type of
monitor
is attached to the baby's chest with electrodes that monitor the baby's
breathing. The monitor is adjusted to each baby and will only sound if
it
detects abnormal breathing patterns. If the baby's
breathing is too
shallow or stops altogether, the monitor will sound a loud high-pitched
alarm
to alert you of the danger. For
anyone
who has experienced this sound, especially in the middle of the night,
it can
be a heart stopping experience. The
baby
needs to be attached to the monitor all of the time he or she is
sleeping.
During waking hours, it is not necessary to use the monitor. Medical
personnel will go to your
home and take readings from the monitor to make sure that it is working
properly and also that it is being used properly. They will then
forward a
report to your baby's pediatrician for him or her to monitor. Only your baby's
pediatrician can determine
when the monitor is no longer necessary. He or she will discuss with
you the
progress of your baby before any decisions are finalized. Chris Towland If
your baby is having
sleep problems then take a look at The Baby Sleep Solution audio
program. It's
the quickest way to solve your baby sleep problem - guaranteed! Take a
look now
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