Why Sleep Is Important For Babies And Young Kids

It’s nearly impossible to begin your day well unless you’ve had enough uninterrupted night’s sleep. This case isn’t only applicable to adults but also to infants and toddlers. Without adequate sleep, your child will likely be cranky until they have a good rest.

Unfortunately, regardless of how important sleep is for children, the National Sleep Foundation states that almost 30% of children don’t get enough of it. Therefore, parents and guardians must understand the role of sleep in their children and provide a conducive environment to facilitate good enough sleep. For instance, if you have a child who experiences baby sleep regression, you might want to understand the reason behind it to help them sleep better. It usually happens on their 4^th, 6^th, 8^th, 12^th, 18^th, and 24^th months and lasts for two to six weeks. On these occasions, it’s crucial to know how to help your infant get back to their normal sleeping schedule. 

How Can You Support Your Baby’s sleep?

It’s imperative to support your baby’s sleep as much as possible as it provides many benefits essential to their growth. Besides providing a comfortable bed and environment, it might help if you:

• Try swaddling: Some experts believe that infants below six months get better sleep after being wrapped in a blanket. However, some think swaddling might interfere with a baby’s hip development. That said, if you want to try swaddling but aren’t sure if it’s safe, try baby sleeping bags that are comfortable and flexible to allow ample room for movement.  
• Understand their sleepiness signs: Every child has unique signs of sleepiness. They might include eye-rubbing, fussiness, or crying. Once you notice these signs in your child, try singing lullabies or cladding to help them fall asleep seamlessly.
• Keep them active when awake: Engaging your baby in fun activities in the daytime will likely keep them asleep for a prolonged period at nighttime. It is because you’ve helped them spend their energies, making them tired at night.
• Don’t wait until they’re sound asleep to put them in bed: A typical child is likely to wake up every one and a half or two hours during their sleep. Therefore, you should teach them to go back to sleep in their bedroom without help by putting them to bed before they’re sound asleep.

Besides these, there are other ways to help your baby sleep better, such as ensuring they’re fed well and switching off the lights to create a good sleeping environment. 

Benefits Of Good Sleep In Babies And Children

Children who get enough sleep are likely to experience more benefits than those who don’t. Among the sleep benefits for kids include:

High Growth Rate

Every parent has had that morning when they think their baby got bigger during the night. While it might be impossible to see an overnight growth change, this thought has some truth. According to health practitioners, growth hormones are commonly secreted when a baby is in a deep sleep. Therefore, babies and children who sleep a lot are likely to experience a high growth rate compared to those who stay awake for prolonged periods due to these hormones.   

Sleep Affects Weight

Sleep affects infants’ and toddlers’ weight the same way it does with adults. A child with little sleep is likely to eat more than a child who sleeps well. For this reason, parents should help their children have a good sleeping cycle. Failure to which a baby might begin struggling with obesity at an early age due to overeating. It’s also advisable to feed the baby when hungry instead of doing so every time they cry. Sometimes they need hugs, not food.

Sleep Helps Fight Germs

When sleeping, humans produce cytokines, a protein that the body depends on to fight illnesses, infections, and stress. Besides that, cytokines help one to stay asleep, increasing the body’s capability to heal. When a baby or child doesn’t get enough sleep, they produce fewer cytokines. Based on what has been determined in adults, babies and children who sleep for fewer hours are likely to develop frequent colds compared to those who get enough sleep. That said, it’s vital to ensure your baby gets enough sleep lest you deal with regular colds and flu.

How Much Sleep Should A Child Get?

How much a child should sleep depends on their age and if they have sleeping disorders. Here’s an average sleep recommendation depending on age:

• An infant under one year should sleep for 12 to 16 hours daily. 
• A child aged between one and two years should sleep for 12 to 14 hours per day. 
• A child between three to five years should sleep for ten to 13 hours per day. 
• A child between six and twelve years should sleep for nine to twelve hours per day. 
• A teenager between thirteen and eighteen years should sleep for eight to ten hours per day.

As already stated, a child’s health condition and genetics can interfere with how much they sleep. Hence, these recommendations are only applicable to average children.

Conclusion

Sleep is vital in children’s lives. Besides promoting healthy growth in kids, sleep reduces the chances of developing health conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and mental issues. That said, ensuring your baby gets enough sleep each day is vital.