Before electricity, people rose and fell with the world’s natural light source, which matched our natural biological clock; back then, many people got the sleep they needed. Today, in our fast-paced, 24-hour society, our ability to maintain adequate quality sleep is suffering. Ask yourself where sleep is on your priority list.
This is true for children and babies, with so many classes and activities to participate in, many babies, toddlers, and moms are overscheduled. Some of these classes conflict with a child’s natural decline in alertness, making regular naps increasingly difficult to establish. More sleep is needed in childhood than in any other age group and a lack of healthy sleep for infants and children is detrimental to physical and mental health; should not be underestimated.
The biggest challenge for most parents of course is how to get this quality of sleep for their children if the habits are already ingrained, the idea of making changes can seem overwhelming with so many current schools of thought, combine this with your own sleep deprivation and the whole concept becomes extremely overwhelming.
First, you need to decide what you and your family perceive as encompassing a healthy sleep regimen: what you’re comfortable with and what you’re not. Don’t feel pressured to make changes because of outside sources. Do what is right for your family.
It is possible to make changes with the right knowledge and guidance, but don’t expect fantastic results right away, be realistic. For children who already have associations or have a multi-level problem, sleep training is a learning process and is done in stages to make the transition easy for everyone. It takes time, persistence, and most importantly, consistency. Imagine trying to learn to play a game if someone always changed the rules. He would never learn to play the game, would he?
Here is a list of questions and tips to consider before making changes to your family’s sleep.
Does your child take a nap every day? Don’t underestimate the importance of daytime sleep. If your child constantly skips naps, then his ability to cope with his environment decreases and then he collapses easily. How do you manage when you’re tired after a long and busy day and you’re cooking dinner, phone ringing, TV on, organizing the next day and trying to take care of the kids? I’m sure you feel like screaming, like a child.
Changes in your baby’s or child’s sleep should be made when there are no other major life changes so you can focus and stay focused. It’s not fair to your baby or child to constantly change tactics or methods; this will only cause confusion. Visit my website for a chart of your baby or child’s sleep and nap requirements every 24 hours and feel free to ask me any questions about your baby or child’s sleep habits if you have any concerns.