Exercise for Children with Insomnia: Help Kids with Sleeping Problems Stay Healthy

From the time one of our my sons was tiny, he was always in motion. Problem was, all that activity didn't stop at night. It was a rare evening when he was ready for bed at a normal time. Take two sleepy parents and one child who is still wide awake and you have problems. We'd be ready to sink into bed while he was still bouncing off the walls. This often resulted in two very irritable parents, fighting sleep deprivation, the next day.

Luckily, we found one thing that helped - a regular exercise routine and sports program for our son. As soon as he was old enough, he was involved in sports and fitness activities. He'd swim during the summer and play soccer later in the year. He also took Tae Kwon Do and played basketball. All of this helped him fall asleep more easily at night.

We also felt good about the health benefits of exercise. According to information like that found here at Medline Plus, children need about 1 hour of exercise a day and regular activity can help children sleep better at night.

There were times, however, when it seemed like exercise aggravated our son's insomnia and sleep problems - instead of helping him sleep soundly. This puzzled us. Then we talked to a sleep specialist as well as a personal trainer we knew and learned a few tips to keep our son healthy and fit without sacrificing his sleep. It took a combination of diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes to put everything in balance again.

Here's what worked for us:

Exercise tip for kids with insomnia: understand how exercise can help - or hurt sleep problems in children

Tipped off by the sleep specialist (who'd also treated my husband for snoring) we realized that our son's insomnia could be affected by both the time and length of his workouts. Because we'd seen him crawl exhausted into bed after a long workout session earlier in the day, we made the mistake of assuming that exercise at any time of day would work. This was simply not true. If he exercised within 2 hours of bedtime, he'd often toss and turn throughout the night, if he slept at all.

Bottom line: pay attention to your child's insomnia and see if sports, a fitness or workout routine or any other activity that occurs late in the day disturbs his or her sleep. If so, consider changing the time of day when your child exercise. Perhaps a morning workout is better.

Exercise tip for children with sleeping problems: remember that exercise doesn't have to occur in one long session.

While children's sports programs can be great, it isn't always necessary for exercise to occur in the same way every day. Sometimes it is easier to have kids with insomnia exercise in short burst of activity during the day. When a relative was hospitalized, we helped our son stick to a routine by having him walk (quietly but quickly) up and down stairs in the hospital. If we hadn't done this, he might not have slept that night.

Bottom line: realize that fitness and being active can be part of your daily routine. Climbing stairs, walking or biking around the block or even raking leaves can all be part of an exercise program for kids with sleeping problems.

Exercise might not help with insomnia if a child is under unusual stress

In short, even the best workout session can't work miracles. Although children who are healthier might get sick less often, anxiety may overwhelm the benefits of exercise - if only temporarily. So consider supplementing a fitness routine with stress reduction techniques. Also, pay attention to your child's entire life and notice anything that could make him or her more anxious. Peer pressure, having trouble in school or family pressures can all affect children's sleep patterns.

Bottom line: pay attention to a child's stress level.

An exercise tip to remember for kids with sleep problems - some kinds of exercise may raise the risk of insomnia

This was a subtle, but important, lesson for us. With our son, competitive sports and extra stress at school could create a perfect storm when it came to his sleeping problems. If he lost a soccer match and had a test looming in school the next day, his anxiety could rise and insomnia would be a near certainty. However, if we had him swim laps instead, he'd be fine. The difference? Swimming alone in a pool was not the competitive atmosphere of a soccer field.

Don't get me wrong. Usually, he loved soccer. But if he was feeling anxious, his love of the sport could be offset by the anxiety, particularly if there was other stress in his life.

Bottom line: make sure your child's anxiety isn't being aggravated by the type of sports program or exercise routine.

An important tip for children with insomnia - don't downplay the role of caffeine

Caffeine and exercise can be an odd combination. When I drink caffeine, I find that I often perform better during my workouts. Unfortunately, the same may not be true of children. If our son had any caffeine and worked out, he'd be so full of energy that he might not wind down by bedtime.

Bottom line: limit the caffeine for children who have insomnia. Also, be aware that products besides colas and other soft drinks can contain caffeine. Chocolate bars and even some pain medications can also have caffeine.

Think about the medications your child takes. They can aggravate children's insomnia and sleeping problems.

Some ADD or ADHD medications (those designed for children with attention deficit disorder or kids who have trouble focusing or paying attention) can be stimulants. While these medications are supposed to help kids pay attention, they can also worsen children's insomnia. Does this mean your child has to stop taking these meds? Not necessarily. But it might help to take them earlier in the day and schedule exercise for a different time.

Bottom line: stimulant medications may worsen insomnia in some children, particularly after a workout or exercise session. Some pain medications contain caffeine and can also make it difficult to sleep at night. Cough medicines can either make kids drowsy or hyper, so know how your children react to medications.

Another exercise tip for children with sleep problems? Consider yoga as one option for kids who are prone to insomnia.

We had a great deal of success using yoga with one child. My husband was already practicing some yoga, including special breathing techniques. Some types of yoga we explored focused on slow, smooth movements with calm music playing in the background. This was very helpful to our child and the peaceful atmosphere helped with his sleep problems, lessening insomnia.

Bottom line: think about balancing active, aerobic workouts with yoga or stretching exercises to promote healthy sleep and a peaceful attitude. Tai Chi is another option that worked for us, since there were free outdoor classes located just up the street from us.

Finally, consider how that hot shower after exercise can affect children with insomnia

It should have been obvious to us - but it wasn't. If our child took a hot shower late in the day, right after working out, his heart rate would go up and he'd be wide awake. This might not be a problem for the average kids, one who falls asleep easily. For a child with insomnia, however, it can be a recipe for trouble - and it was - for our son. While some find hot showers soothing, it can rev up the heart rates of children prone to sleep problems.

Bottom line: make sure there is plenty of time for that workout and a shower, plus time to wind down before bed.