Help Your Child Sleep Like a Baby Part 1: Sleep Routines
Friday, September 28, 2018
As teachers, we often get asked at the beginning of the school year about how to help our students adjust to the new school routine. One of the most frequent things we tell parents is make sure their child gets enough sleep. Sleep is especially important for toddlers because it has a direct impact on physical and mental development because the growth hormone needed for tissue and muscle development is released primarily during sleep. By the age of two, most children have spent more time asleep than awake and overall, a child will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep.
What sleep deprivation does to a child
Lack of quality sleep can manifest itself in even more obscure, subtle ways than just physical symptoms. It can actually cause behavioural and emotional problems, shortening attention span and even bring on ADHD-like symptoms. In fact, children can be misdiagnosed with ADHD merely because they aren’t spending enough time sleeping. A 2015 study that surveyed almost 2,500 kids ages 6 to 15 confirmed that kids with sleep problems are more likely to be hyper, impulsive and aggressive — all of which are symptoms consistent with ADHD. Another study presented at SLEEP 2015 supported the findings that sleep disturbances may, at least in part, be the cause of some ADHD symptoms. The same study also pointed out that motor skill learning in children with ADHD benefits from more sleep. Unlike tired and sleepy adults who grow slow and listless, kids become hyperactive and explosive as they try to compensate for their exhaustion.
In addition to behavioural problems, sleep deprivation also contributes to obesity, diabetes, and chronic illness.
First of all, how much sleep is necessary?
Toddlers (age 1 - 2 years)
Toddlers (age 1-2 years) require 11-14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. When they reach about 18 months of age their naps should be reduced to once a day, lasting about one to three hours. Naps should not occur too close to bedtime as they could delay sleep at night.
Many factors can lead to sleep problems. Toddlers' drive for independence and an increase in their motor, cognitive and social abilities can interfere with sleep. In addition, they are now able to get out of bed, may have separation anxiety or the need for autonomy and the development of their imagination can lead to sleep problems. Daytime sleepiness and behaviour problems may signal poor sleep or a sleep problem.
Sleep Tips For Toddlers
• Maintain a daily sleep schedule and consistent bedtime routine.
• Having a warm bath and warm milk before bed helps to make toddlers ready to sleep.
• Make the bedroom environment the same every night and throughout the night. Keep lighting low and bedding warm.
• Set limits that are consistent, communicated and enforced. Encourage use of a security object such as a blanket or stuffed animal if needed.
• Ensure all electronic devices are kept out of bedrooms.
Pre-schoolers (age 3-5 years)
Pre-schoolers typically sleep 11-13 hours each night and most do not nap after five years of age. As with toddlers, difficulty falling asleep and waking up during the night are common. With further development of imagination, pre-schoolers commonly experience night-time fears and nightmares. In addition, sleepwalking and sleep terrors peak during preschool years.
Sleep Tips for Pre-schoolers
• Maintain a regular and consistent sleep schedule with bedtime at the same time every night if possible.
• Have a relaxing bedtime routine that ends in the room where the child sleeps. A story before bed, and not too much to drink (otherwise they’ll be waking for toilet breaks!) will help them relax.
• Your child should sleep in the same sleeping environment every night, in a room that is cool, quiet and dark – and without a TV or any electronic devices.
A good night’s sleep
Equally important is keeping bedrooms free of possible allergens, such as second-hand smoke, which can cause sleep-disordered breathing and insomnia. A recent study found a strong correlation between second-hand smoke exposure and sleep disturbances in children, including restless legs syndrome, a condition in which the legs feel extremely uncomfortable, especially in the evenings and at night, interfering with sleeping. Keeping bedrooms clean and allergen-free, as well as regularly washing bedding, is a must. For school aged children, night-time fears and nightmares are also common. We’ll be addressing these in our next blog post, so stay tuned!
Interested in our other tips? Check out our post on toilet training, a step by step guide to help your child learn to use the toilet with independence. Read it here: https://bit.ly/2J53cVJ
What sleep deprivation does to a child
Lack of quality sleep can manifest itself in even more obscure, subtle ways than just physical symptoms. It can actually cause behavioural and emotional problems, shortening attention span and even bring on ADHD-like symptoms. In fact, children can be misdiagnosed with ADHD merely because they aren’t spending enough time sleeping. A 2015 study that surveyed almost 2,500 kids ages 6 to 15 confirmed that kids with sleep problems are more likely to be hyper, impulsive and aggressive — all of which are symptoms consistent with ADHD. Another study presented at SLEEP 2015 supported the findings that sleep disturbances may, at least in part, be the cause of some ADHD symptoms. The same study also pointed out that motor skill learning in children with ADHD benefits from more sleep. Unlike tired and sleepy adults who grow slow and listless, kids become hyperactive and explosive as they try to compensate for their exhaustion.
In addition to behavioural problems, sleep deprivation also contributes to obesity, diabetes, and chronic illness.
First of all, how much sleep is necessary?
Toddlers (age 1 - 2 years)
Toddlers (age 1-2 years) require 11-14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. When they reach about 18 months of age their naps should be reduced to once a day, lasting about one to three hours. Naps should not occur too close to bedtime as they could delay sleep at night.
Many factors can lead to sleep problems. Toddlers' drive for independence and an increase in their motor, cognitive and social abilities can interfere with sleep. In addition, they are now able to get out of bed, may have separation anxiety or the need for autonomy and the development of their imagination can lead to sleep problems. Daytime sleepiness and behaviour problems may signal poor sleep or a sleep problem.
Sleep Tips For Toddlers
• Maintain a daily sleep schedule and consistent bedtime routine.
• Having a warm bath and warm milk before bed helps to make toddlers ready to sleep.
• Make the bedroom environment the same every night and throughout the night. Keep lighting low and bedding warm.
• Set limits that are consistent, communicated and enforced. Encourage use of a security object such as a blanket or stuffed animal if needed.
• Ensure all electronic devices are kept out of bedrooms.
Pre-schoolers (age 3-5 years)
Pre-schoolers typically sleep 11-13 hours each night and most do not nap after five years of age. As with toddlers, difficulty falling asleep and waking up during the night are common. With further development of imagination, pre-schoolers commonly experience night-time fears and nightmares. In addition, sleepwalking and sleep terrors peak during preschool years.
Sleep Tips for Pre-schoolers
• Maintain a regular and consistent sleep schedule with bedtime at the same time every night if possible.
• Have a relaxing bedtime routine that ends in the room where the child sleeps. A story before bed, and not too much to drink (otherwise they’ll be waking for toilet breaks!) will help them relax.
• Your child should sleep in the same sleeping environment every night, in a room that is cool, quiet and dark – and without a TV or any electronic devices.
A good night’s sleep
Equally important is keeping bedrooms free of possible allergens, such as second-hand smoke, which can cause sleep-disordered breathing and insomnia. A recent study found a strong correlation between second-hand smoke exposure and sleep disturbances in children, including restless legs syndrome, a condition in which the legs feel extremely uncomfortable, especially in the evenings and at night, interfering with sleeping. Keeping bedrooms clean and allergen-free, as well as regularly washing bedding, is a must. For school aged children, night-time fears and nightmares are also common. We’ll be addressing these in our next blog post, so stay tuned!
Interested in our other tips? Check out our post on toilet training, a step by step guide to help your child learn to use the toilet with independence. Read it here: https://bit.ly/2J53cVJ
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