As wonderful and organic as sleep is, it can be the origin of continual frustration for countless people. When the problem is with a child or a baby, the frustration can be magnified.
A child's body becomes less prone to sickness and better able to bounce back from injuries they might have sustained while active All these are essential to a growing child, and most especially for newborn babies. Babies sleep upward of about 15 hours. They are most in need of the restorative functions of sleep to ensure that they grow healthy and strong. It is important to make sure that they get adequate rest. This is to guarantee that their bodies and minds are in good condition when they are fully grown adults.
The Sleep Cycle Process
The first cycles of REM are quite short as compared to the succeeding ones. However, REM sleep progresses to deeper and longer periods until deep sleep decreases later in the night. This is usually when the person enters the second stage of sleep again. This happens because the body is preparing the individual for waking. It is important for infants and children to receive this level of sleep as it restores their body and promotes growth and health. It is important to note that the progress of sleep does not always occur in the above sequence.
An individual will always begin with the first stage of sleep, but the stage he or she enters next can vary. That person can enter either the second or the third stage. When the person enters the third stage of sleeping, the second stage can repeat itself over again before REM sleep. When the person completes REM sleep, he or she can return to the second stage again. A single night's sleep can cycle through this process three or four times daily. Thus, it is important not to interrupt the entire process, lest it begins over again from the first stage.
A parent must take measures in ensuring that his/her child receives uninterrupted sleep because of a disruption in the process can throw the rest of the stages off balance. A delay in a child's sleep routine can make it difficult for them to return it back to normal. As a person grows older, he or she is more likely to sleep less and skimp on good quality sleep.
It is often said that when a person ages, he/she needs less sleep, but that is far from true. Infants spend almost 50% of the time in REM sleep, while adults only reach about 20%. This fact alone says that adults need just as much sleep as when they were younger, if not more.
How Much Sleep Do Children Need?
A good night's sleep is a person's most important biological necessity, but that is especially so for children. The quality of the sleep they are receiving affects their mental and physical development in drastic ways. Sleep-dependent hormones and mechanisms are responsible for the growth and health of children. Without sleep, they are not released and this stunts a child's growth and development. While there might not be a predetermined number of hours of sleep a child needs, there is a recommended number to follow. These can serve as guides that help parents determine how many hours of sleep is optimal for a child of a certain age. Take note that the recommended number of hours of sleep still varies on many individual factors. These are simply general guidelines based on the age of a child.
Newborns (0-3 months)
Newborns aged 0-3 months spend almost 60% of their time sleeping on average. They need roughly 10 to 18 hours of sleep, with about 3 hours spent awake. Those 3 hours are usually spent feeding or having their diapers changed. Parents should put effort into making newborns sleep less during the day. This prepares them for when it is time to adhere to a sleep and wake schedule when the child is older.
Parents can do this by exposing the newborn to daytime stimuli such as noise and light. They can also play with them to keep them awake. As the evening approaches, parents can prepare the newborn's environment fit for sleeping. Things such as turning off all sources of noise and dimming the lights make it suitable for the baby to fall asleep.
Infants (4 to 11 months)
Once the newborn is 4 to 11 months old, he or she becomes an infant. Almost 70-80% of infants aged 9 months will be able to sleep through the night and need fewer feedings. Infants need around 9-12 hours of sleep every night. This supplemented with short naps throughout the day. These naps can last anywhere from 30 minutes to at most 2-hours and should not exceed that. y this time, most infants will have developed a regular sleeping and waking schedule.
If the infant is still sleeping and waking at irregular intervals, the parent should continue to follow a schedule. The parent should prepare a sleep-friendly environment for the infant. This is usually a quiet, dim room. The parent should also be consistent in this so the infant can make a habit out of independent sleeping.
Toddlers (1 to 2 years)
At 1-2 years of age, an infant is now a toddler. At this stage of their lives, it is important that they receive 11-14 hours of sleep within the 24 hours in a day. The frequency and length of their naps should decrease at this point. Toddlers should not nap within 3 hours before their scheduled sleep time, as this will make them less sleepy. Various factors can disrupt a sleep schedule and discourage a child to sleep at this age. Toddlers are more independent and social, thus they are more inclined to resist sleep. They may also experience nightmares, night awakenings, and even separation anxiety.
Furthermore, their newfound ability to get out of bed on their own can make them more likely to refuse to sleep. It is important for the parent to enforce strict and consistent bedtimes and follow through with them. If the child is anxious, objects such as a soft blanket, night light or even a stuffed toy can offer the security they need to fall asleep.
Preschoolers (3-5 years)
Toddlers become preschoolers at 3-5 years of age. A child at this age needs about 11 to 13 hours of sleep on average per night. Preschoolers invest their energy being active in the day and they are more likely to fall asleep at night. They also take a few short naps, if any at all. A preschooler's increased social interaction and heightened imagination brings about nightmares and nighttime fears. These can cause a child to wake up from his or her sleep or not be able to sleep.
There is also a peak in the frequency of incidents of sleepwalking, bedwetting, and walking from sleep terror. It is important that the parent is responsible for what they expose to the child to cheerful, bright, imagery instead.
School-aged children (6 years and up)
By the time children reach 6 years and onward, they are now school-aged children. They need 9-11 hours of sleep per night, but it is often difficult for them to sleep this long. This is because there are many activities that distract them from sleeping. Things like school, computers, and friends and factors that can deter them from getting good quality rest. At this age, parents should be stricter than ever about adhering to a daily bedtime routine. They should limit the use of phones, cell phones, and computers and their children should not use them right before they go to bed.
The light from the monitors of gadgets is a known deterrent to sleep. Physicians have noted that the light emitted from these displays mimic sunlight. Thus, they are able to throw a person's circadian rhythm off course. This is why it is important for a parent to enforce at least 2 to 3 hours with no use of gadgets before a child goes to bed.
It is also important that children at this age do not drink caffeine. Caffeine is not just found in coffee. It is also present in sugary drinks like juice, soda, and tea. These are the worst offenders in preventing a child from sleeping, perhaps because they are the least obvious. It is important that in the evening, children should limit their drinks to water or beverages that do not have a high sugar content.
Food can also contain sugar that can cause children to become hyper and active. A parent should make sure to prepare dinner that is healthy and low in sugar. As always, it is important that the environment where the child sleeps in is conducive to it, and a dim, quiet room is always the way to go.
The remedies presented in this blog series are relevant to otherwise healthy children. If your son or daughter has any clinical or psychiatric conditions, please seek further assistance before using these techniques, methods described in the upcoming blogs. Be prepared to take control of this part of not only your life but your baby or child's life.
Stay Tuned For Part Five: Sleep Disorders
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