Every parent agrees, there is nothing more rewarding than a quiet house when your children are peacefully sleeping. Without a doubt, building a foundation for healthy sleep habits in your household will bring harmony and well-being to all family members. Alas, why does sleep allude so many of us?…I hope to offer 3 guest blogs to offer a glimpse into the most common issues that may cause sleep disruptions in your household & some fast, easy practical suggestions on how to overcome the sleep pitfalls.
Did you know…..
1. A bedtime that is too late can keep your child awake at night
· Did you know that children need on average 10-11 hours of sleep at night for the first 9 years of their lives! Children need the right quality and quantity of sleep and the right timing of sleep.
· To help achieve the right quantity of sleep, start to keep a sleep log to track daytime and nighttime sleep cycles. You will notice patterns emerging and can make adjustments to improve the schedule.
· To help enhance the quality of sleep, install room darkening shades and keep the room at 72 degrees
2. Insufficient daytime sleep and nap deprivation will cause night-wakings.
· Believe it or not, but skipped or short naps & too long of an interval between afternoon nap and bed-time will create more night wakings and poor quality sleep--not to mention an overtired and often cranky child!
· Don’t forget…daytime sleep is just as important as nighttime sleep.
· Babies up the age of 9-10 months may still need up to 3 naps a day and 3 plus hours of daytime sleep.
· Always allow for quiet time in a dimly lit room before nap and night-time.
I will be posting more sleep facts and tips in the future. I always recommend, before you make any bold changes in addressing your sleep concerns, that it is incredibly important to educate yourself and choose a methodology and philosophy where you and your partner can be in agreement and remain consistent over a period of 2-3 weeks. Patience and consistency are key elements in supporting your child when he/she is learning the all important life skill of sleep! May you enjoy a quiet house!
If you are tired and want to make a change and if you want an alternative to the “cry it out” methods, than there is hope and help available. I adhere to a Gentle Sleep Coaching philosophy. I am a tenured, trained and certified infant and child Gentle Sleep Coach ℠ working with children 6 months to 5 years. I also offer Sleep Shaping for babies 0-4 months. I offer comprehensive sleep consultations, conducted in-person or over the phone, which are designed to give personalized guidance and support in developing a gentle sleep program so your child will learn sleep independence, thus ultimately restoring harmony to your family life.
~ Joanna
