When your infant was a newborn, it seemed like they slept all the time. People would come by to see your new little one, and you would cross your fingers that they would open those little peepers and look around so that visitors could admire them. Well-meaning friends and family would tell you to try to keep them awake during the day so that they would sleep better at night. They dozed off every time you fed them, every time they were in the car, and every time they were in your arms. As a matter of fact, the only time they didn’t seem to doze off was when you needed them to! But now you’ve gotten this sleep thing down: they nap, they have a bedtime, and they have a routine. So when they start fighting their naps, or not wanting to go to bed at the same time anymore, it’s only natural to question if they really just don’t need that much sleep anymore. And, you could be right! Or, maybe they just don’t want to miss everything going on around them so they’re fighting their natural urge to sleep. How do you know when your infant, toddler, or preschoolers is getting enough sleep?
The National Sleep Foundation (www.nationalsleepfoundation.org) recommends that infants 3-11 months get somewhere between 14-15 hours of sleep, including naps. Toddlers between the ages of 1-3 years old require 12-14 hours, and preschoolers up to age 5 should get 11-13 hours of sleep each day. Although these are just guidelines, all children are different and may require different amounts of sleep, you can see that all the way through the preschool years, children require a lot of sleep! As parents, we hear the phrase, “pick your battles”, all the time. And children, especially toddlers and preschoolers, typically do not want to stop what they’re doing to take a nap or go to bed. Sometimes it seems like it may be best to just let things go. After all, they’ll fall asleep when they’re too tired to do anything else, won’t they? Is sleep really a battle you, as a parent, should fight?
As challenging as it may be, the research shows that sleep is absolutely a battle you should fight with toddlers or preschoolers. Sleep deprivation has been linked to health, behavior, and developmental issues in children. Beginning in infancy, the majority of your child’s brain development is going on while their bodies are at rest. When you think of all of the growth and development going on in the first year of life, it’s no wonder they need so much sleep for their brain to process everything! As they get a little older, toddlers and preschoolers are building on the skills they’ve already mastered, and a lack of sleep can cause a decrease in comprehension, attention span, and memory. Sleepy children also are less inclined to be physical, running and playing, leading to obesity and a lack of muscle and motor development. Add this to the fact that a lack of sleep makes everyone cranky, and you’ve got a recipe for a pretty frustrating day all around. Sleep is essential for the overall success of your child.
Even though bedtime battles can be frustrating, even for the most patient of caregivers, sleep is one thing you want to make sure your child is getting enough of! Sometimes all it takes to get things back on track is a solid routine so your child knows what’s coming. Read a book, give them their favorite blanket or buddy, and sit with them for a bit. Do the same thing every time, and then you can also lessen the time you are with them as they get used to the routine. Make sure their needs are taken care of before you begin the routine: they are fed, have had a drink, and have used the bathroom or been changed. This way, you can know that they have gotten everything they need before they go to bed. By providing them with a loving and predictable routine, they can doze off knowing they are safe and secure, and wake up ready to learn!
http://www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/28018/isListing/yes/ThisPage/1/NewsNavID/39911/router.asp
http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/sleep.htm
Infants and Preschoolers Need Their Sleep!
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