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.
Babies need significant amounts of sleep, because their bodies are growing and changing at an enormously rapid pace. Generally, during the first six months of life babies will average around ten hours of sleep a night, along with an average of five hours of naps during the day. While these are long periods of sleep, they will include many interruptions for feedings. It is important for parents to feed their babies during the night, as their tiny tummies cannot hold enough food to allow them to sleep through the entire night. At around six months of age they should be encouraged to sleep through the night, because uninterrupted sleep is crucial for a baby's proper development. At this age naps often are reduced to around three hours. The best way to teach your baby to sleep through the night is to avoid getting them out of bed when they do awaken. Teach your baby to put himself back to sleep without needing you.
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.
For additional useful knowledge click here Child Obesity as well as Child Obesity Genetics and Child Obesity Due To School Lunches
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