Children often delirious, is this a normal condition?

As many as 69% of children under 10 years of age experience sleep disorders, one of which is delirious. Not a few parents feel worried because the child is often delirious and talks to himself while sleeping.

Basically, delirium is a normal thing that does not endanger the psychological health of children. However, this condition can also indicate a certain situation that reduces the quality of sleep. This is what parents should explore.

The cause of the child is often delirious

When delirious, children can talk, laugh, moan, or cry while fast asleep. They don't do this consciously and will forget on their own when they wake up.

Delirious children may appear as if they are talking to themselves or chatting with other people. His words could relate to past conversations or memories, or have nothing to do with anything at all.

Uniquely, some children were delirious with a voice that was completely different from the original voice. They may make complete sentences, random words, or indistinct moans that often sound funny to parents.

Delirium was initially thought to be related to alternating sleep phases. However, even scientists are not sure about this because of the fact that children and adults can be delirious at any stage of sleep.

There are several factors that cause children to become delirious, including:

Heredity from parents who are often delirious
Fatigue, anxiety, and stress
Enthusiasm for certain things or activities
Lack of sleep
Fever
Psychological disorders
Currently undergoing certain medications

Is it normal for a child to talk deliriously every day?

If your child sleeps occasionally in a week, this condition is quite normal. You just need to be aware of your little one's sleep patterns if he sleeps out every night for one month in a row.

Frequent delirium may indicate that your child has a more serious sleep disorder, for example:

1. REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD)

During the REM phase (rapid eye movement), the body is temporarily paralyzed with random and rapid eye movements. RBD eliminates this paralysis phase so that children can scream, get angry, and even act violently while dreaming.

2. Sleep terror

One of the reasons children are often delirious, this one is also often referred to as night terror.This disorder causes feelings of excessive fear in the first few hours after sleeping.

Night terrorusually triggered by severe fatigue, lack of sleep, stress, and fever. Children who experience it may scream, hit, or kick in response to nightmares.

3. Nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NS-RED)

Frequent delirium can also be a sign that your child has NS-RED disorder. This disorder can be triggered by stress, other sleep disorders, and hunger during the day.

Children with NS-RED will often wake up looking for food. This behavior is often accompanied by delirium. The next day, children usually do not remember that they woke up in the middle of the night.

How to deal with a child who is often delirious

It is natural for parents to feel anxious when they find out that their child is delirious frequently. In order to reduce your worries, here are some tips you can do with your little one:

Get used to sleeping and waking up at the same time
Make sure the child gets enough sleep, which is for 11-14 hours
Train children to go back to sleep when they wake up at night
Adjust the bed and temperature of the child's room so that he can sleep comfortably
Not giving heavy meals before bed

This method can be applied if the child's delirious behavior is classified as mild. Children who are delirious too often, have frequent nightmares, or scream when delirious may need further examination with a specialist.