Yes, Children Can Experience Insomnia
When we think of insomnia, we tend to picture stressed adults lying awake at 2am worrying about work or finances. But insomnia is not just an adult problem. Children can and do experience genuine difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early, and it can have a real impact on their mood, behaviour, learning and overall wellbeing.
Research suggests that up to 25% of children experience some form of sleep difficulty, with around 1 in 10 meeting the clinical criteria for insomnia. If your child regularly struggles with sleep, you are far from alone, and there are practical, gentle things you can do to help.
What Insomnia Looks Like in Children
Insomnia in children can present quite differently from adults. While an adult might recognise and report their own sleep difficulties, children often express them through behaviour instead.
Common Signs
Difficulty falling asleep: Taking more than 20-30 minutes to fall asleep on a regular basis, often accompanied by repeated requests for water, toilet trips or "one more story."
Frequent night wakings: Waking multiple times during the night and struggling to fall back to sleep independently.
Early morning waking: Consistently waking well before their usual time and being unable to go back to sleep.
Daytime consequences: Tiredness, irritability, difficulty concentrating at school, emotional outbursts, hyperactivity (which can sometimes look like the opposite of tiredness) and increased clinginess.
Common Causes of Childhood Insomnia
Anxiety and Worry
Anxiety is one of the most common drivers of insomnia in children. Worries about school, friendships, family situations or even the dark can make it incredibly difficult for a child to switch off. Children are often less equipped than adults to manage anxious thoughts, and bedtime, when distractions disappear, is when these worries tend to intensify.
Inconsistent Sleep Routines
Children thrive on routine and predictability. Irregular bedtimes, varying wake times and inconsistent pre-bed activities can confuse a child's internal clock and make it harder for their body to know when it is time to sleep.
Screen Time
Screens emit blue light that suppresses melatonin production, and the stimulating content on tablets, phones and televisions can keep a child's brain in an alert state well past bedtime. Screen exposure in the hour before bed is one of the most common and easily addressable causes of childhood sleep difficulties.
Environmental Factors
A bedroom that is too warm, too bright, too noisy or simply not associated with calm and rest can contribute to sleep problems. Children are often more sensitive to their sleep environment than adults realise.
Medical Conditions
Conditions like asthma, allergies, restless legs syndrome, growing pains and sleep apnoea can all disrupt a child's sleep. If your child's sleep difficulties are persistent and don't respond to behavioural changes, it is worth discussing with your GP or paediatrician.
What You Can Do to Help
Establish a Consistent Bedtime Routine
A predictable sequence of calming activities before bed helps signal to your child's brain that sleep is coming. This might include a warm bath, putting on pyjamas, brushing teeth, reading a story together and a goodnight cuddle. Keep the routine the same every night and start it at the same time. Over a few weeks, the routine itself becomes a powerful sleep cue.
Create a Sleep-Friendly Bedroom
Keep the bedroom cool (around 18-20 degrees), dark and quiet. If your child needs some light, use a warm-toned red or amber night light rather than white or blue, which can interfere with melatonin. Comfortable bedding and a tidy, calming space can also help your child associate their room with rest.
Limit Screens Before Bed
Aim for at least one hour of screen-free time before bed. Replace screen time with calming activities like reading, drawing, puzzles or gentle play. This allows melatonin production to ramp up naturally and helps your child's mind begin to slow down.
Address Anxiety Gently
If your child is anxious at bedtime, acknowledging their feelings is more helpful than dismissing them. Let them know that it is okay to feel worried and that many children feel the same way. Simple techniques like deep breathing, a "worry jar" where they write down or draw their worries before bed, or a calming audio story through comfortable headphones can all help.
"Our daughter would take over an hour to fall asleep every night and we were all exhausted. A consistent routine, no screens after dinner and a dim night light made such a difference within just a couple of weeks." - Natalie F., Tamworth
Be Patient and Consistent
Changes to sleep habits take time, especially for children. It can take two to four weeks of consistent effort before you see lasting improvements. There will be setbacks, and that is completely normal. The key is to stay calm, supportive and consistent rather than reactive or frustrated.
Teach Self-Settling Skills
If your child relies on you being present to fall asleep, gradually building their confidence to settle independently can help with both initial sleep onset and middle-of-the-night wakings. This doesn't mean leaving them to cry. Instead, it means slowly reducing your involvement over time, such as moving from sitting on the bed to sitting by the door to checking in at intervals.
When to Seek Professional Help
If your child's sleep difficulties persist despite consistent behavioural changes, or if they are significantly affecting their daytime functioning, mood or development, it is a good idea to speak with your GP or a paediatric sleep specialist. Conditions like sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome or more complex anxiety disorders may require professional assessment and treatment.
"We felt so alone dealing with our son's insomnia until we spoke to a sleep specialist who reassured us it was really common and gave us a clear plan. Things improved so much faster once we had proper guidance." - Ben and Laura T., Shepparton
Better Sleep Is Possible
Childhood insomnia can be incredibly stressful for the whole family, but in most cases it responds well to consistent, gentle changes in routine and environment. By creating a calm, predictable bedtime routine, addressing underlying worries and making their sleep space as comfortable as possible, you can help your child develop healthy sleep habits that will serve them well into the future.
