Many children have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. The chances that your child will have a sleep problem go up if he's a boy, your first child, or prone to colic or ear infections, among other reasons.

Parents are often more anxious about taking care of their firstborn children and tend to let bedtime routines and rules slide. Boys are more vulnerable to many problems (including hyperactivity, and other illnesses). Children who have frequent ear infections or bouts of colic tend to wake up at night when they don't feel well and then continue that pattern when they're on the mend.

Fewer than 10 percent of young children have a true sleep disorder, defined as a more serious sleep problem rooted in a physiological condition. If you suspect your child might qualify, review the following checklist from Jodi Mindell, the paediatric clinical director of the Sleep Disorders Centre at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences and author of "Sleeping through the Night"

If any one of the following statements is true for your child, he may have a disorder.

Checklist
• My child snores.
• My child is a noisy breather.
• My child breathes through his mouth when sleeping.
• My child often chokes or coughs during the night.
• My child sweats a lot during the night.
• My child appears extremely confused when he awakens during the night.
• My child rocks to sleep or bangs his head when falling asleep.
• My child looks terrified when he awakens during the night.
• My child seems to kick his legs in a rhythmic fashion when he sleeps.
• My child is a very restless sleeper.

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