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Child Not Sleeping Properly At Night. Should I Be Concerned?
Question: My son is 32 months old and he has this strange habit of scratching, beating up his mother and then pulling her hair during the middle of the night (when he is fast asleep!!) and at times he starts weeping in the middle of the night. He is usually very active and playful. He is very inclined towards consuming chocolates and anything that is sweeter in nature. I am diabetic and I am worried for my son. But, am not able to control his cravings. He dislikes eating fruit. Should I be concerned?
My son XXXXXXX does not have any known allergies neither is he taking any medication nor underwent any medical procedures on him. We ensure that we get him vaccinated on a regular basis.
My son XXXXXXX does not have any known allergies neither is he taking any medication nor underwent any medical procedures on him. We ensure that we get him vaccinated on a regular basis.
Hi there, thanks for asking.
Regarding his sleep issues, there is no reason to worry. Night terror and its related issues happen during sleep in some children (up to 6 percent of children show such a problem). They may start between around 3 years old until any age before adolescence and they usually disappear in adolescence. It is accompanied with screaming and also thrashing of limbs.
You may inform his doctor at any time about this issue, since it may be a clue for the possible issues in the future, although it is benign in most of the cases. It is interesting that it might be related to change his habit gradually to other tastes, since it is possible and would be very important for his physical and mental health. For example, consuming wheat or barley or corn ,instead of sugar, could inhibit his blood sugar fluctuation at school time (because sweet foods burn fast and bring low blood sugar afterwards) and this facilitates his learning (his brain will have access to enough sugar for a longer time).
Second, his eye globe will have a normal growth (the children's body who use lots of sugar produce more insulin and it will lead to more growth factor and it will cause subsequently more than normal growth of eye ball), otherwise they might find near vision problem.
I am glad that he has up to date vaccination. Feel free to ask me any other question regarding your darling. I wish you and the family a good health.
Regarding his sleep issues, there is no reason to worry. Night terror and its related issues happen during sleep in some children (up to 6 percent of children show such a problem). They may start between around 3 years old until any age before adolescence and they usually disappear in adolescence. It is accompanied with screaming and also thrashing of limbs.
You may inform his doctor at any time about this issue, since it may be a clue for the possible issues in the future, although it is benign in most of the cases. It is interesting that it might be related to change his habit gradually to other tastes, since it is possible and would be very important for his physical and mental health. For example, consuming wheat or barley or corn ,instead of sugar, could inhibit his blood sugar fluctuation at school time (because sweet foods burn fast and bring low blood sugar afterwards) and this facilitates his learning (his brain will have access to enough sugar for a longer time).
Second, his eye globe will have a normal growth (the children's body who use lots of sugar produce more insulin and it will lead to more growth factor and it will cause subsequently more than normal growth of eye ball), otherwise they might find near vision problem.
I am glad that he has up to date vaccination. Feel free to ask me any other question regarding your darling. I wish you and the family a good health.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
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