Healthy Sleep

There is nothing more invigorating than a good night’s sleep for both parents and toddlers alike. And there’s nothing more frustrating than not getting that good night’s sleep! Sleep issues present themselves in many different ways: difficulty falling asleep, waking up multiple times during the night, attempts at giving up the nap, limited parental sleep, and disagreements between parents on methods to encourage children to sleep.There are also many different ideas and opinions on encouraging healthy sleep habits. Each family needs to find the method that will work best for them.

  • Healthy sleep is correlated with healthy brain development. Averages for healthy sleep (daytime and nighttime) are 14 hours for a one-year old, 12 – 13 hours for a two-year-old, 12 hours for a 3-year-old, and 11 hours for a 4-year-old.
  • We cycle through periods of light sleep, deeper sleep and dream states all night long. To help children sleep through the night we need to teach them the lifelong skill of how to self-soothe when they awaken during the night.
  • Create a positive environment for sleep. Consistent bedtimes and bedtime routines provide the external cues needed for a child to get ready to sleep. Paradoxically, sometimes moving your child’s bedtime earlier helps him or her sleep longer.
  • Introduce a “lovie” or security object (blankie) that will help your child fall asleep or go back to sleep without your help. Even if you have a family bed, make sure your child goes to bed awake, but drowsy.
  • Most sleep training programs share the same basic philosophy—increase the time between parental visits and decrease the attention at each subsequent visit.
  • Common challenges include vomiting, early rising, disagreements between parents, waking up a sibling or spouse, overly tired child, illness and inconsistent sleep training methods.
  • Naps work best when they are at consistent times during the day, when a child has some “down” time before nap, when the daytime sleep environment resembles the nighttime routine and when a child is happy and well-rested.

 

Remember, sleep habits are learned. You are not trying to “break your child’s spirit.” Children gain self- confidence when they can put themselves back to sleep without a bottle or a parent’s guidance. Healthy sleep is important for everyone in the family!

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