Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in children can now be traced back to infancy, as this article has shown. Bipolar children were found to be more difficult to console in infancy, exhibit a decreased need for sleep or difficulty going to sleep.
In addition, recurring nightmares or night terrors have also been
present in these children. On top of the sleep problems being a symptom,
these children may seem more gifted in their “movement, language, and
thought patterns” and creative in their writing, art, music, etc.
Interestingly enough, there is some overlap in ADHD symptoms and Bipolar Disorder. Among other symptoms, ADHD children may not sleep as long as other kids,
but they don’t have the nightmares bipolar kids have. ADHD kids are
generally not crabby after waking up quickly and are not generally
gifted like bipolar kids.
This is actually a little scary in that some of the descriptions of
Bipolar Disorder and ADHD sound a little like my eldest son (no
nightmares). I thought this information was interesting, as they find
out more about ADHD and Bipolar Disorder. Weissbluth theorizes that because they know children with ADHD have sleep-related problems, that it’s possible the sleep problems led to the hyperactivity and ADHD
(they still don’t know which comes first). He illustrates one example
of how this might happen in his book and talks about chronic fatigue
leading to an increased amount of neurotransmitters (adrenaline,
noradrenaline, and dopamine), causing more activity in the child both
day and night (less restful sleep). This article
also discusses the relationship between sleep deprivation and the
symptoms of ADHD being magnified. If this is true, this is yet another reason
to help your child learn healthy sleep habits such that it does not
lead to chronic fatigue and sleep loss, leading to a potential ADHD
outcome. As I mentioned in my article about behavior problems and sleep, it is imperative that my eldest son gets enough sleep and if my ability to give him healthy sleep habits has made it less likely he will be later diagnosed with ADHD, even better!
Do you ever notice your child get hyper when he isn’t sleeping enough?
Please be sure to pick up your FREE copy of 5 (tear-free) Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night, our e-Book with tear-free tips to help your baby sleep better. For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3-Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep (babies) or The 5-Step System to Better Toddler Sleep
(toddlers). Using a unique approach and practical tools for success,
our e-books help you and your baby sleep through the night and nap
better. Have a newborn at home? Download our free guide on newborn
sleep, 15 Baby Sleep Facts New Parents Need To Know, or purchase a copy of our comprehensive e-Book on newborn sleep, Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep. Or, join our Members Area
packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments,
detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and teleseminars.
It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! For
those looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation
with support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations,
where you will receive a Personalized Sleep Plan™ you can feel good
about! Sometimes it’s not that you can’t make a plan. Sometimes you’re
just too tired to.
Author,
0 comments:
Post a Comment