Do you break out into a happy dance the moment your little one nods off for the night? For you, bidding baby ‘sweet dreams’ signals adult time with your spouse, catching up on social media, and eventually winding down for the night. On the contrary, the parent of a child that has difficulty falling and staying asleep will perform a quick tooth brushing, then quietly flop into bed. Learn about normal sleep and how to help encourage sleep for your baby or school-aged child.
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Why we need sleep
Sleep is a basic human need. It’s right up there with eating and breathing and essential for good health. When we sleep, our bodies make cytokines or immune-boosting proteins. Sleep is particularly essential for youngsters because it affects intellectual and bodily development.
Why can’t my baby sleep?
A baby enters the world without having experienced light variations from daytime to nightfall. In time, a sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm will develop. In the meantime, think of it as a perfect scenario in which to accommodate your baby’s nighttime feedings. By 6 months of age, mornings and nights will begin to impact baby’s sleep. Your baby will sleep for longer periods of time at night.
How much sleep?
Let’s take a look at daily guidelines set forth by The National Sleep Foundation :
- Newborns (0-3 months) 14-17 hours
- Infants (4-11 months) 12-15 hours
- Toddlers (1-2 years) 11-14 hours
- Preschoolers (3-5 years) 10-13 hours
- School age children (6-13 years) 9-11 hours
Determine how much sleep your child is getting
A child’s sleep patterns are confusingly sporadic. It’s helpful to keep a log of the times your child goes to sleep and wakes up. Total the number of hours and minutes of sleep, both during naps and at night in a 24 hour period. Try using The Sleep Data Recorder App (Free) or a video baby monitor to make the task easier. After tracking your child’s sleep for a few days, you may be surprised to find how much sleep your child is…or isn’t getting.
Addressing children’s sleep issues
You have concerns about your child’s sleep habits. Maybe your child isn’t getting enough sleep, doesn’t fall asleep easily, or has sleep interruptions. Parents play a strong role in helping to shape better sleep during the early childhood years.
Here are areas to focus on:
- Remove yourself from view
- Signal nap times
- Have a bedtime routine
- Adjust bedtimes
Remove yourself from view
Newborns are accustomed to having a parent close to them before drifting off to sleep. Also, immediately after awakening. So, not surprisingly, baby begins to associate you with sleeping. In the future, try making yourself less of a focus.
- First, observe your child during usual sleep onset times for signs of sleepiness. For example rubbing their eyes, heavy lids, or yawning. Ensure your child is fed and dry.
- Then place your child in their crib and move away from their line of sight, or into another room. Since your child is in a sleepy state, he should naturally fall asleep on his own soon.
- Upon waking, delay your return to the room by a few minutes. Gradually increase your return time.
Signal nap times
Communicate when you expect sleep, even if your child is not yet a talker. Most children are alert to their surroundings and will take notice. Be sure to allow some time for your child to sense your signals.
Steps:
- Make sure the area is a comfortable temperature.
- Minimize lighting coming into the home by closing blinds or turning off lights. Or, layer black-out shades, under existing curtains, no tools required.
- Optionally, turn on soft music or white noise.
- Do a diaper check.
- Dress your baby in loose clothing.
- Offer an older child their stuffed animal or blanket.
Stay consistent and soon your little one will respond with a yawn the moment you start putting out those signals.
Have a bedtime routine
Toddlerdom is the perfect age group to start a bedtime routine. Do as you would when signaling nap times but include extra steps related to hygiene. In addition to teaching a toddler how we care for our bodies, the added steps hint at the end-of- the day slumber.
What to do:
- Lay out your child’s sleepwear and towel.
- Then, tooth brushing.
- Next, prepare, a bath. Colored bath water and toys should make easier work of gaining your child’s cooperation in bathing.
- Help your child into their sleepwear.
Follow up with a quick read, (if energy allows!). Choose a few nursery rhymes or prayers. In the case of books, establish limits. Decide on one or two, and put the others away. This will curtail all-night reading sessions which infringe on sleep. Bid your child goodnight as you normally would.
Adjust bedtimes
Tweak bedtimes to discourage all night wake sessions from school-agers. The sleep log will provide you with the usual time in which your child falls asleep each night. Let’s say, on average, your child falls asleep at 9:00 p.m. Plan to bid your child goodnight at this time. Check to see if your child is actively sleeping within 15 minutes of being sent to bed. Gradually begin setting an earlier bedtime. For example, 8:45 p.m. Repeat the steps of pushing back the bedtimes and waiting until your child adjusts to the new bedtime. When your child is falling asleep at your preferred bedtime, you’re all set. Provide balance by waking your child earlier to avoid oversleeping. Now, do your best to maintain the schedule daily… weekends included! 🙂
In conclusion:
If you have real concerns about your child’s sleep, let your pediatrician know. It could be there are medical issues in need of attention or a referral to a sleep specialist is required. I wish you much success in your quest for sleep. Be sure to pass along these proven ways to help a child sleep and form healthy sleep habits. Sharing is caring! -Elena
References
National Sleep Foundation (n.d.) Children and Sleep. Retrieved Feb 25 2020 from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/children-and-sleep
National Sleep Foundation (n.d.) How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? Retrieved Feb 28 2020 from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
Jennifer L. Vriend, BSc, Penny V. Corkum, PhD, Erin C. Moon, BA, Isabel M. Smith, PhD, Behavioral Interventions for Sleep Problems in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Current Findings and Future Directions, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Volume 36, Issue 9, October 2011, Pages 1017–1029, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsr044
Jin, C. S., Hanley, G. P., & Beaulieu, L. (2013). An Individualized and Comprehensive Approach to Treating Sleep Problems in Young Children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46(1), 161-80.
Vriend, J., & Corkum, P. (2011). Clinical management of behavioral insomnia of childhood. Psychology research and behavior management, 4, 69–79.
doi:10.2147/PRBM.S14057