Why sleep matters
It’s all too easy to give into kids with sleep problems but spending half your night sitting by their bed singing lullabies or letting them come into bed with you results in poor sleep for all of you.
When Supernanny visited the Schrages she discovered that mom Christy and dad Kyle hadn’t slept together all night for eight years because of playing musical beds with kids Ellie, 10, Emma, 6, and Cara, 4. The tired twosome couldn’t bear to lay down the law when it came to who slept where – and it’s a problem many parents face. No one likes to listen to their child crying out for them in the night – but teaching good sleep habits is vital simply because a good night’s sleep continues to be vital to your child’s health and development as he grows. It boosts memory skills and alertness and kids who are well rested get better grades and are less prone to behavioral problems.
Once kids reach school age many parents tend to take their eye off the ball when it comes to sleep, but they still need up to 12 hours’ sleep a night. Despite this, older children are among the most sleep-deprived. Your tween or teen may well beg to be allowed to stay up later and find it hard to drift off if lights out is at 8.30pm but taking longer than 15-30 minutes to go to sleep is actually a sign of overtiredness. More obvious signs are sleeping through the sounds of you crashing around in the kitchen when you get up for work, difficulty getting up and at ’em in the morning, and tiredness during the day (ask the teacher if your child seems tired or falls asleep in class – in one survey, teachers reported that 10% of kids nodded off during lessons).
The National Sleep Foundation makes the following recommendations for parents to ensure their children get enough sleep:
1 Make sufficient sleep a family priority
Understanding the importance of getting enough sleep and how sleep affects the overall health of parents and children is the first step towards making sleep a family priority. Parents need to determine the amount of sleep each family member needs and take steps to ensure their individual needs are met. Every family member must make a good night’s sleep a regular part of their daily schedule.
2 Embrace good sleep habits
Regular bedtime routines, creating a quiet and comfortable bedroom, and adhering to appropriate bedtime and wake times can go a long way to better sleep. TVs and computers need to be out of the bedroom and caffeine shouldn’t be part of a child’s diet.
3 Learn to recognize sleep problems
The most common sleep problems in children include difficulty falling asleep, nighttime waking, snoring, stalling and resisting going to bed, having trouble breathing, and loud or heavy breathing while sleeping. These sleep problems can be evident in daytime behavior such as being overtired, sleepy or cranky.
4 Talk to your child’s doctor about sleep
Parents should discuss their child’s sleep habits and problems with their child’s doctor, as most sleep problems are easily treated. Healthcare professionals must regularly ask about a child’s sleep.