to reduce migraine disability and vice versa,” the authors write. “Therefore, the clinical evaluation of pediatric patients with migraine should always include a careful analysis of their sleep habits in order to detect the presence of sleep disorders early.”
Getting your child to sleep
Creating habits that promote healthy sleeping routines and consistency is key to getting your child the sleep he or she needs to prevent pediatric migraines.
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Try these tips:
- Create a routine: Having a consistent bedtime routine will train your child’s body and mind to know when it’s time to settle down and sleep and will help with insomnia. You can pick a routine that is unique to your child, but overall you should aim for 20 minutes of three to four quiet activities such as putting on PJs, brushing teeth, a warm bath, and reading.
- Set a bedtime: Assign your child a bedtime and stick to it, even on the weekends. This will eliminate inconsistency and allow your child to dose off at the same time every day.
- Put a curfew on screen time: TVs, tablets, etc. have a blue light that suppresses the melatonin your child needs to sleep. Screen time also stimulates the brain, which will make it harder for your child to wind down for bedtime.
- Avoid scary/violent content: This type of content may scare or worry your child and interfere with their sleep.
- Exercise: Exercise is great for people of all ages looking to fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night. Try getting your child active for at least one hour a day. Just be sure to avoid activity within two hours of their bedtime because it may have the reverse effect and give them more energy.
- Eliminate caffeine: Even a small amount of caffeine can have a big impact on children. Either avoid it altogether or don’t allow your child to consume it within six hours of their bedtime.
- Don’t sleep with pets: This is a good method to try and see if you can get any positive results. Pets tend to move around throughout the night, which can ruin a peaceful slumber. So you might consider keeping the pets out of your child’s bedroom.
- Room temperature: When our bodies/brains get ready for sleep, they naturally cool down. If you live in a warmer house, this can be interrupted. Try keeping the thermostat around 65 degrees.
- Noise: It is no surprise that noise can interrupt sleep. Try investing in noise-blocking curtains or using a fan or white noise machine to block out distracting sounds.
- Adjust light level: Keep your child’s bedroom as dark as possible to promote healthy levels of melatonin. If your child is afraid of the dark, you can add a nightlight.
- Invest in soothing smells: Scents like lavender are soothing and have mild sedative effects. Try using essential oils, a room diffuser, or a dried potpourri sachet. These will provide a soothing, sleep-inducing smell to get your child to sleep.