The Importance of a Sleep Schedule For Your Child’s Effective Development
Due to their fast growth in a short span of time, having a good night’s sleep and getting adequate sleep is essential for the development of your child. Children are expected to sleep for about 50 percent of the day. This is crucial for your child’s growth as its habits, memory and social skills undergo the growth process during this stage.
Sleep deprivation can directly affect your child’s development and might hinder their growth and potential as their physical ability can be impaired. Children who sleep less than 10 hours each evening with age less than 3 are more susceptible to brain disorders such as ADHD as they age. Having the right quantity of sleep for your child is essential to make sure that their development isn’t greatly affected. A good set of everyday home products can create an environment that nurtures your child and fosters adequate growth.
Newborn: From 0 to 3 months old
Normally, a newborn child sleeps for about 10 to 18 hours a day. This includes a few waking hours in between with around 1 to 3 hours during an irregular schedule. At this early phase, sleep is primarily dependent on physical instinct in such a way as being fed, changed and nurtured.
Since a child is a newborn, they are experiencing the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase when sleep is more quickly interrupted. So, why is REM sleep important? REM sleep is regarded as extremely vital for the brain development of a newborn. At this stage, the child starts to form social interaction with their mom by learning to recognize its face and bond with her. Sleep interruption at this phase could greatly influence the association of the child with the world and social interaction as they grow up.
Infants: From 4 to 11 months old
During this phase, a child sleeps more frequently than a newborn baby and usually for around 9-12 hours at night with some two-hour naps during the day. Infants are beginning to learn social skills and sleep can often be interrupted because the brain is overly alert to these social circumstances.
Normally, an infant’s sleeping pattern is healthier if an infant feels safe and attached to their mom. This is essential for the development of their emotions, influence how they sleep and behaviors when they get older.
Toddlers: From 1 to 2 years old
A toddler needs to sleep for about 11-14 hours a day, while nap times will lessen to once a day. A child at this age starts to learn about their independence; also, their movement, cognitive and social skills start to improve. As they become overwhelmed by new experiences, their sleep patterns can be affected which makes them angry and irritable.
If the child becomes frustrated and has inadequate sleep, it could harm their development and advancement in the future. Therefore, it is important for them to get the required sleep that they needed. Creating a consistent bedtime schedule can keep a toddler stress-free and sooth their brain. Sticking to this routine could ensure that the toddler can have a good night’s sleep in the future. You can also invest in an organic mattress, free of toxins and chemicals for a worry-free sleep.
Pre-schooler: From 3 to 5 years old
During this phase, preschoolers usually sleep about 11 to 13 hours a night and do not usually have napping time after the age of 5. Preschool students often start to develop imagination at this age and this can sometimes influence sleep by disturbing nightmares. Because of this, it can affect the quality of their which could contribute to sleep deprivation and anxiety.
A sleep that is associated with anxiety can harm the health of a preschooler. Not having enough sleep and time to recharge can result in a weaker immune system.
Furthermore, you have to make sure that your child’s sleeping environment should be peaceful and free from distractions. A comfy bean bag, a toy box, and educational books can create a safe environment. Having a good sleep routine can prevent future sleep problems and make sure that a child’s physical and mental development isn’t affected.
School children: From 6 to 13 years old
Normally, school kids need about 9-11 hours of sleep a day. However, the problem with them is that it can take them a long time to get to bed because of stimulating activities like playing video games or watching thrilling movies in their favorite rug sizes.
Being exposed to blue light before bedtime can have a huge impact on their sleeping pattern, so make sure not to let them use those gadgets regularly. Children who are watching on digital devices before going to sleep have poor sleep patterns that can cause loss of quality sleep.
Sleep disorders are most common at this age can lead to a problem with behavior such as ADHD. They often become irritable and moody when a child doesn’t get enough sleep. At this stage, it is even more detrimental for a child as they continue to learn social and cognitive abilities. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a good sleeping routine to ensure the natural development of a child.
What You Should Do
Having a good sleep hygiene practices at a young age can help them achieve the required number of sleep for their age group. As their concern parent, what you should do?
Create a bedtime ritual
Developing a bedtime routine for your child that is consistent, soothing, quick and predictable is essential. It can be as easy as singing their favorite song or switching the white-noise machine on while you’re cuddling them in your arms. As time goes by, you can introduce them to an evening warm bath, or reading their favorite fancy bedtime story. Consider experimenting and combining techniques like helping them discover their best sleep position that might work, but do it inside their room so they can easily proceed to their bed.
When they get used to their routine, they will more likely predict what’s going to happen next and less likely break the routine.
Stick to the routine
To make your kid feel safe, sticking to their bedtime routine can provide them predictability. Ideally, children of all ages should go to bed and wake up every day with an allowance of 30 to 60 minutes at the same time. This also involves weekends. Discourage your child from sleeping during Saturday mornings for it can disturb their circadian rhythm which makes it much more difficult for them to wake up on school days.
Before 9:00 p.m., a younger child must be already in bed to have more restorative sleep. Younger children need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night. So, if your children have an early class, make sure to adjust their bedtime earlier so that they’ll have enough time to have enough quantity of sleep. Having a good bedtime routine and following it can prevent your child from having sleepless nights.
Create a good sleep environment
Creating a sleep atmosphere that sets the ideal conditions for your child’s sleep. It could be perfect for them to sleep in a cool, quiet and dark space. To create a quiet and cool environment, you can use a ceiling or oscillating fan. There are also a number of white noise machines that could help you fall asleep from soothing sounds.
To reduce the morning light in the room, you can use blackout curtains to create a dark environment. While at night, you can turn off the light in your child’s room. Although, being in the dark it is the best way to get your child into sleep because it stimulates the release of melatonin. While in the morning, your child needs to be exposed in the sunlight to recalibrate their circadian rhythm.
Also, having a comfy mattress could also affect the quality and quantity of their sleep. If you have a school-age child, you have to make sure that they’re sleeping on a size of a full bed to avoid falling from it while sleeping. You can also have air-purifying bedroom plants placed strategically in their room to create a wholesome environment.