Common Causes of Sleeplessness in Children

 

Sleeplessness
Image: webmd.com

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva functions as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva also serves as a professor of pediatrics, critical care, and sleep medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Children can experience sleeplessness or insomnia for several reasons, ranging from unhealthy lifestyles to more complex medical issues. In certain cases, insomnia in children may be caused by something as simple as poor sleep habits that are upheld by parents or guardians. A child who does not exercise regularly and drinks soda or other caffeinated beverages shortly before bedtime will likely experience a myriad of sleep-related health issues. Similarly, children should have a fixed sleep schedule, as opposed to being able to go to bed and wake up at their discretion.

At the other end of the spectrum, a healthy, well-raised child can still experience difficulty sleeping due to underlying medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, also known as sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Children with severe SDB will develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where most or all of the child’s airway becomes blocked, resulting in loud snoring, unrestful sleep, and constant waking up throughout the night.

Typical symptoms of insomnia in children include sudden mood swings, difficulty with memory, and a decreased attention span. If an adult believes a child is struggling with sleeplessness, he or she should discuss the situation with a trusted pediatrician.

Awareness and Access to Care for Children and Youth with Epilepsy

 

Awareness and Access to Care for Children and Youth with Epilepsy
Image: nichq.org

An experienced public health professional and senior medical administrator, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva functions as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. As part of his work with the AAP, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has served as the project director and a principal investigator for the Awareness and Access to Care for Children and Youth with Epilepsy project.

Conducted in partnership with the Epilepsy Foundation, the Awareness and Access to Care for Children and Youth with Epilepsy project was undertaken with financial support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration. From 2004 to 2008, the project worked to improve access to comprehensive and coordinated pediatric epilepsy health care services in underserved areas of California, Illinois, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

Part of the project’s mission was to apply the advancements of the adult epilepsy Project ECHO within the pediatric setting. Short for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, ECHO was developed to treat chronic and complex cases of epilepsy in various rural and underserved populations of New Mexico.

#VoteKids Campaign Advocates Children’s Needs for 2016 Election

#VoteKids Campaign
Image: aap.org

A practicing pediatrician in pediatric critical care and sleep medicine, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva possesses over two decades of medical experience and providing instruction to medical students and trainees. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva also serves as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which engages in advocacy efforts for children’s health such as the #VoteKids Get Out the Vote campaign.

The campaign encourages voters to prioritize children’s needs during the 2016 election and become a voice for the promotion of children’s welfare issues. It addresses the stakes at hand for the upcoming election period and focuses on urging elected leaders to invest in programs and policies that offer solutions for issues such as poverty, gun violence, and food scarcity. In the days leading up to the election, the campaign will also continue to highlight key issues that impact children and families and emphasize the need for awareness.

Voters who wish to advocate for children’s needs and health issues can join the campaign by participating in social media activities that include updating their social media picture and sharing the message using the hashtag #VoteKids. Furthermore, the #VoteKids Social Media Toolkit provides a list of facts and statistics for use on Facebook and Twitter. A #VoteKids banner is available on the AAP’s website.

For more details on the #VoteKids Get Out the Vote campaign, visit www.aap.org/en-us/Vote.