Sleep is Overrated: Sleep Problems in Adopted Children

Yeah Right.

A few months ago we had an adoption medical specialist (or so she said) tell a group of pre-adoptive and adoptive parents that sleep issues work themselves out within a matter of a few weeks.

Bull Shit.

Oops, am I allowed to say that?

Studies indicate that 30 percent of all children have sleep problems. And anecdotal evidence suggests that sleep disturbances are more prevalent in adopted children than biological children, according to Todd Ochs, M.D., a clinical instructor of pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

There are hundreds of factors that weigh in to sleep issues in adopted children and my son had, UGH, most of them. Unfortunately, he still has many of the issues so we have had to resort to medication to allow him to sleep more than an hour at a time (and to get more than 5 hours a night, which, of course, a 4 year old needs).

Reasons for Sleep Issues:

Jet Lag

No established routine as an infant or toddler

Neurological disorders: Finally, children with histories of prematurity, prenatal substance exposures, lack of early responsive, regulating caregiving, and stressful/traumatic experiences can literally be wired differently, with real neurological differences in sensory processing and self-regulation.

Sensory Integration Dysfunction: New adoptees are usually so overstimulated (we call it “Disneyland syndrome”) that they may blow right through sleepy time into an adrenaline-addled second or third wind.

Separation Anxiety from their previous caregiver and also from new caregivers if sleeping in a different room: Children experiencing parental love and attention for the first time are understandably reluctant to give it up because someone says it’s “bedtime”. The early stages of a new attachment have an insecure, “velcro” quality, so it’s normal for new adoptees to be anxious and insecure around bedtime.

Medical problems such as hypoglycemia, H Pylori, parasites, allergies, sleep apnea, etc.

Depression and grief: Your child’s grief at the loss of familiar caregivers may erupt at night, and when you come to console them they may be expecting someone else.

Co-sleeping with foster parents or neglect from caregivers

Post Traumatic Stress and/or abuse: The older a child gets, the more cognitive she becomes, and the more able to store experiences and memories in her brain. The degree of stress, even trauma, that adoption can bring depends on memories of her past experience (whether in an institution or not, whether well-cared-for or abused in some way) combined with the comprehension of her adoption experience (gradual or abrupt, amount of transition preparation, whether or not brought into a new culture with a new language). A child’s reaction to such stress or trauma may be controlled by day, but released when she feels more vulnerable, as at night. Hence, the sleep problems so many adopted children experience.

New diet (sounds silly, right?)

Bed Wetting

Night Terrors and Nightmares: Night terrors happen in the first 1-3 hours of sleep and children do not wake during them. It’s a good thing too because some of them can be very violent. We often found AJ thrashing, screaming, hitting himself, and in a heightened state of absolute terror. However, it is said that it is the body’s way of regulating arousal and “decompressing” from the day’s sensory overload and/or stress.

Stress: A child’s reaction to such stress or trauma may be controlled by day, but released when she feels more vulnerable, as at night. Hence, the sleep problems so many adopted children experience.