Tag: Emotional Problem

Nightmares and Night Terrors – A Frightening Sleep Disorder

At some time in their childhood almost all children experience the sleep disorder of having a nightmare. They are common in children and can begin as early as two years old. They are most common in children between three and twelve years old and are considered part of the normal developmental process. However, only about 3 percent, experience night terrors, also called sleep terrors. Both of these sleep disorders can be very frightening to a child.

Nightmares are dreams that are so frightening that they wake the person up. Everyone has had nightmares occasionally throughout their life and they usually are not something to worry about.

Nightmares occur several hours after going to sleep during the REM stage of sleep when there is general body paralysis and active dreaming.

A child can remember the nightmare once they awake and they still remember it in the morning. Sometimes this nightmare sleep disorder can become a problem if the child has nightmares very often and becomes afraid to go to sleep or becomes sleep deprived. When a nightmare occurs it is important that the parent remains calm and reassuring.

There are several things that a parent can do to prevent nightmares. Discuss calm and comforting things with your child just before putting then to bed. Reading to them, or telling them a story can also be very comforting. Don’t let a child watch violent or scary shows on television, especially just before going to bed. Maintaining a relaxing bedtime routine is also important. Sometimes, nightmares indicate a more severe emotional problem within your child.

Night terrors usually occur during the first few hours of sleep, during deep non-REM sleep. They often occur at the same time each night. Night terrors are characterized by screaming, crying or moaning. It is not unusual for a child experiencing a night terror to sit straight up in bed and scream. Their heart rate is increased and they experience rapid breathing. An episode of this sleep disorder can last from 10 minutes to over an hour. Although the child’s eyes are open, they are actually still asleep and when they wake up in the morning there is no memory of what happened during the night.

Although night terrors can be frightening, they are not dangerous. They usually are not a sign of any type of mental distress. A parent should not try to wake the child, or comfort them, during a night terror. The best thing for a parent to do when their child is experiencing a night terror is to make sure they are safe. Generally, most children outgrow this sleep disorder after a few months or years.

Several of the factors that can contribute to night terrors include being overly tired, staying up extremely late, eating a heavy meal just before going to bed, and taking certain medications.

Although nightmares and night terrors can seem like a very scary type of sleep disorder to both the parents and the children involved, they are generally harmless.

Distinguishing Mental Health Problems in Teenagers

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

Teenagers are considered as one of the most active group of individuals today. However, there are times that teens are already having some kind of mental health problem and yet adults fail to recognize it. Because of misinterpretation and awkward age, teens get to patience less understanding from their parents thus, leading to a more complicated situation which is of mental illness.

Parenting requires recognition of problems, no matter how big or small it is, in children. Teenage period is seen as the hardest stage in the parents and the childs life. Adolescents tend to produce in a higher akin of stress because of the low coping tactics that is introduced to them. Things about school, peer discomposure or intimidation, self – insecurities and important decisions that must exemplify regarded for are some of the things a teenager must fulfill in his or her life for it to become more meaningful.

Pressures bring about a collection of stress, thus, worrying is inevitable. Adolescents tend to see the world in different folds and this kind of thinking makes things totally confusing. With proper parent support and care, your teens can withstand these factors in life and make problem solving easier. Although, if you lack to give a certain time out of your monotonous and tasteless job to realize your teens feelings, then mental illness may occur.

Some of the most obvious manifestations of mental problems are hopelessness, depression, and worthlessness. Problems concerning the mind will co – exist with the emotional status of the adolescent. Usually, mental problems are painful and real. It only proves that, when an emotional problem is difficult to resolve, the teen will completion into isolating himself or herself from the outside world or otherwise regress and become a juvenile.

These mental health problems can be aggravated and can lead a future full of situations that can contribute problems which may affect the entire home as well. Positive can end to loss of sultry and trusted friends, conflict within the family, and dropping out of school. You, as a parent or guardian, must be aware of your adolescents present status and emotional behavior.

Distinguish troubles like:

Overreaction on simple and immature things, has become deeply emotional and cries a lot, and is often angered by situations.

Feels guilty and worthless.

Keeps on worrying with a lot of things and is very anxious.

Long – term grieving after a loss.

Fearful, sometimes, more than kids can be.

Concerned about the problems with his or her appearance.

Being scared that he or broad might go overboard and out – of – control.

Your teenager can again manifest things that are based on the mental aspect like:

Instead of making good grades, he or she flunks every single subject in her class.

Lost interest in activities that he or she used to enjoy doing.

Unexplainable change in eating and sleeping habits.

Isolates himself all the time. He doesnt accept visitors, doesnt want to talk to anyone within the family, and avoids all of his friends.

Having difficulties in finishing things to be done like chores or homework.

Talks about morbid things and about death and dying. Suicide usually follows with this kind of scenario.

Keeps on having hallucinations and delusions.

Once these behaviors are already seen in a teenager, its time to ask for help. To be able to handle the situation effectively, mental health professionals can be consulted.
There’s a lot to understand about mental health. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.