Adopted children can have all the sleep issues other do and then some. Parents use various methods to try to get their kids to sleep. Some of these methods may not be appropriate for adopted children depending on the circumstances.
First let’s talk about sleep issues that apply to all children. Some children just seem to need less sleep (judge by how they are acting in the daytime, not whether they want to go to sleep!), some seem temperamentally more sensitive to separation from parents, some prefer to be swaddled and some dislike it, and many more normal differences. In addition, doctors are now realizing that many children have sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, which causes tiny arousals during the night that do not fully waken a person, but prevent deep sleep. In children, this is often caused by enlarged tonsils and one symptom is snoring. See your child’s doctor if you have any concerns.
Next, let’s remember that adopted children have transitioned to a totally new environment and new routine. Of course the degree of shock will vary given age, transition time, etc., but even a baby a couple of weeks old can react to different surroundings, and even a newborn is hearing different voices than she heard in the womb.
Different cultures have different parenting styles. Many Korean babies are used to sleeping with their foster mothers, for example, or at least having the mother lie next to them while they fall asleep. Other babies who have been in large institutions may feel frightened at being in a room alone instead of one full of babies in cribs, or may feel uncomfortable at first with the new sensations of being cuddled and rocked to sleep.
Children separated from a consistent caregiver, whether birthparent, foster parent or even orphanage worker, may be extremely anxious about separation from parents, making normal nighttime fears all the more real.
And of course, don’t forget time zones. An internationally adopted child may cross ten or more of them. Even in domestic adoption between states children may be affected. Young children (adopted or not) seem more sensitive to changes in time than adults do (witness a roomful of cranky toddlers the week after daylight savings time begins or ends).
Next blog, we’ll talk about approaches that may help, and approaches that may work fine for some children but be detrimental to some adopted children.
Please see these related blogs:
Coming Home: Don’t Underestimate Jet Lag!
Book Review of Mealtime and Sleep Solutions