For most of us adults, the word “kid” is synonymous with “infinite bundle of energy” (and rightly so!). At that age sleep appears to be more or less accidental rather than intentional. After all, we’ve all seen our kids pass out after an intense couple hours or play. But make no mistake, sleep is as important to child development as it is to health maintenance in adults. I am being very broad here by saying “child development” so, to be specific, I’m making specific reference to physical, behavioural and social capacity that would form part of a normal child’s growth pattern.
Toddlers and even older kids (teens included) all need some amount of structure and guidance on the matters of sleep and napping. Sleep deprivation and unscheduled wakefulness can result in negative changes in temperament, social withdrawal, frequent illness and also possible growth inhibition. While the amount of sleep decreases with age, it is important to practice or embed good habits early which will serve to protect your child’s well-being into adulthood. These are things that you will not regret!
I find today that with the mobile culture, our children are staying awake for longer hours because of easily accessible entertainment and a lack of overall discipline. On this page, I’d like to offer some wholesome opinions around that problem and many others so that we can get our kids back on track with good sleep hygiene. It can only benefit them in the long run. What’s your experience been with trying to get suitable sleep schedules ingrained for your kids? I’d be happy to hear about it! Drop me a note and let’s keep the conversation going.