Why Is Sleep Important For Children?

Sleep is an essential building block for your child’s mental and physical health. Understanding their sleep needs is the first step towards providing better sleep for your children2. Through a combination of sleep hygiene, age-appropriate routines, and close attention to any sleep disorders, you can help your child get the rest they need to grow up strong and healthy. Sleep plays a crucial role in the development of young minds. In addition to having a direct effect on happiness3, research shows that sleep impacts alertness and attention4, cognitive performance5, mood6, resiliency7, vocabulary acquisition8, and learning and memory9. Sleep also has important effects on growth, especially in early infancy10. In toddlers, napping appears to be necessary for memory consolidation11, executive attention12, and motor skill development13. What Happens When Children Don’t Get Enough Sleep? Sleepiness can also affect your child’s ability to pay attention, with ramifications for their performance in school. Even minimal sleep restriction15 can have effects on your child’s day-to-day life. Additional sleep strategies for the same are given as follows- Sleep tips for babies: Because they have yet to develop a circadian rhythm, very young babies rarely sleep through the night, and that’s ok29. If they don’t fall back asleep naturally, try soothing them by talking or with touch, without picking them up. If they continue to cry, they may be hungry or need their diaper changed. Quickly and quietly fix the problem, using only a nightlight if possible, and calmly leave the room. Sleep tips for toddlers: Young toddlers have a sleep schedule supplemented by two naps a day. Toddler sleep problems are compounded by separation anxiety and a fear of missing out, which translates to stalling techniques and stubbornness at bedtime. You can cut down on these complaints by giving them control over minor choices like which pajamas to wear or which book to read. Try to be patient, firm, yet loving because power struggles are likely to elicit a stronger response from them. Sleep tips for school kids: Between academic, social, and extracurricular obligations, school-age children often have busy schedules that can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Wherever possible, try to follow a consistent schedule and a wind-down period before bed. To strengthen the association between the bedroom and sleep, have them do homework or other activities in another room where possible.