Sleep Is Crucial For Your Child's Well Being

Getting enough sleep is one of the most important factors in having a child that is healthy and developing properly. But when you are the parent of a child that hates to sleep, this can often be an almost impossible chore. How do you make sure your child gets enough sleep when they are kicking and screaming all the way? Sometimes it is simply easier to let the child stay up a few extra minutes rather than fight a temper the size of Texas. But when those minutes add up to hours, your child's health will suffer from this compounded lack of sleep.

How much sleep does a child need? Because your child can function on six or seven hours of sleep, does that mean that he is getting enough? It is important to realize that all children are unique individuals, and what is the required amount of sleep for your child might be entirely different from the right amount of sleep for your best friend's child.

Growing bodies need more sleep. As a result, infants tend to sleep much more than adults and other children. Their development depends on it. Most babies should sleep around 15 hours a day, which includes naps and nighttime sleeping. Regular and frequent feedings are also encouraged in order to keep your infant from getting hungry. After infants reach six months old however, their sleep pattern should be gradually changed. It is a good idea to try to get your infant to sleep through the night and take shorter naps during the day. Proper sleep patterns at very early ages are vital to healthy rates of growth and development.

Toddlers typically sleep between ten and thirteen hours each night. This also should be uninterrupted sleep, but since this is the time when babies start to actively dream, you can expect to have a dream or two that wakes up your child. It is a good idea to hold and comfort your child after a scary dream. This is also the time when many children drop their afternoon naps. If your child stops showing signs of needing a nap, it is fine for them to drop their nap routine. As your child begins the preschool years, they will still need around ten hours of sleep each night.

All children are different. As such, they all have different patterns. Your child will have a time of day when they start to exhibit signals of sleepiness. When you establish this pattern, make this their bedtime each night and stick to it as much as possible. This is of key importance for your child to establish healthy sleeping habits. Also, create a bedtime routine with your child. As with an adult's bedtime routine, this will serve as a time of relaxation before falling asleep for the night.