circadian rhythm Archives - Dr Keira Moore, BCBA-D

What To Do When You Aren’t Tired At Bedtime

We’ve all been there- you can barely keep your eyes open all day, but then suddenly when it’s time to get ready for bed you are wide awake and feeling wired. Or maybe you’re a parent and you’ve finally finished all the evening chores, baths are done, teeth brushed….and now the kids are bouncing off the walls. Last week we talked about four of the most common causes of sleep problems and reviewed some reasons you or your child might not be sleepy at bedtime, this week let’s talk about how to fix this frustrating sleep problem! A good, healthy sleeper should generally fall asleep within 10-15 minutes of getting into bed, so let’s figure out how to get you there! Solution 1: Make sure you know how much sleep your child needs As children grow, their sleep needs evolve. You might be surprised to learn that there is actually a very specific amount of sleep that individuals need at different ages, and while there is a small amount of variance within each age group, research has shown that we can predict exactly how much sleep people need at each age to function at their best. It’s important to be aware [...]

The Four Main Causes of Almost All Sleep Problems

Sleep: we all know we need it, we all know it’s vitally important to our health and well-being; but for some adults and children sleep can be so elusive. From difficulty falling asleep, to problems staying asleep, sleep issues can leave you feeling frustrated and exhausted. By the time most people contact me in search of sleep help, they are feeling hopeless. Many sleep-deprived adults and parents of children with sleep problems struggle to get to the bottom of what’s actually causing sleep problems, and often (incorrectly) assume that sleep problems are medical or biological in nature. Luckily, most sleep problems are actually behavioral in nature, and believe it or not, there tends to be only four main underlying issues that cause just about every sleep problem I see in my practice. My goal in this week’s blog post is to help you understand the four main causes of sleep problems so you can identify where your (or your child’s) sleep might be getting off track. Types of sleep problems (and why it doesn’t always matter what the problem looks like) Sleep challenges can present in many forms, including difficulty falling asleep, middle-of-the-night awakenings, early wakings, insomnia, night terrors, nightmares, restless [...]