by Joy Casey, Teacher

Ask any parent of a preschooler about some of their most treasured fantasies, and invariably one of their top five will be “Getting more Sleep?” Like much else in family life, our experiences and choices regarding our own sleep are shaped by our children’s experiences and needs. Why is it that some children can drift off to sleep wherever they are, despite new surroundings and lots of activity, while others rely upon standard bedtime rituals, and quiet/low stimulation surroundings before surrendering to sleep? Why do some children sleep peacefully through each night until morning, while others invariably have a period of wakefulness in the middle of the night? Are there things we, as parents, can do to help our children (and therefore ourselves) get to sleep more easily and stay asleep throughout the night, so we can all greet they new day with renewed energy? There is certainly a lot written about the topic of sleep, which may confirm what we already know or yield a new way of thinking about this issue.

Surprisingly, researchers don’t really know why we need to sleep! Sleep seems to restore our body (energizing us) and our mind (helping us to think more clearly). Sleep is vital to sustaining growth, and sleep disruptions can literally be a cause of stunted growth. Researchers theorize that sleep electrically recharges our brains and restores brain chemicals to proper levels, and that dreaming helps us to consolidate our memories.

Most children in their preschool years will spend somewhere between 11 and 13 hours of each 24 hour period in sleep – either at nighttime alone or combined with a daytime nap. This varies with the child, as some children may require 14 hours of sleep, while others get by on only 9 hours each night. From infancy onward, children’s sleep occurs in cycles. The first of these three cycles is characterized by periods of deep sleep, in which the child move very little and is difficult to arouse. This is followed by a lighter, dreaming state (referred to as REM or rapid eye movement sleep), where there is increased blood flow to the brain, and an increase in brain activity. During the final cycle, the child comes to a semi-alert state, where s/he is at the edge of wakefulness and can awaken quite easily. Sleep cycles become increasingly organized as children grow, stretching into longer cycles, allowing for longer periods of continuous sleep.

Now that we’re reminded about what the complex process of sleeping entails, what can we grown-ups do to help our little ones get the rest they need on a regular basis? Here are some tips from the sleep gurus (see references at the end of this article if you’d like to read further)!
Falling asleep – Most authors on this topic advocate setting a predictable bedtime, creating an environment conducive to sleep, and establishing pleasurable and relaxing bedtime rituals. Setting and maintaining a predictable bedtime helps to reinforce your child’s natural circadian or biological rhythms, insuring that the child’s body is ready for sleep when s/he goes to bed. Many parents have experienced the impact of these rhythms as their older preschooler is in the process of “giving up” his/her nap. Naps may be needed some days, not others, and the child may want to begin the nap later (and therefore closer to bedtime). Since these changes can all impact on the child’s ability to fall asleep at bedtime, many parents choose to grit their teeth and forgo naps at this point, or allow naps when needed but awaken the child to insure daytime sleeping is not extended in length or occurring too close to the child’s bedtime.

Creating an environment conducive to sleeping means looking at where the child falls asleep. Is it the child’s bed, the grown-up’s bed, or the “family” bed? While this is clearly a decision to be made by each family, and traditions vary around the world, most authors on sleep urge families to make sure that whatever decision they arrive at truly works for the whole family. If the sleeping arrangements your family now employs results in everyone sleeping well and happily, that’s great! But if current arrangements disrupt adult sleep or relationships, the resulting conflicts can impact on the child’s ability to settle in and sustain sleep. It’s a good idea for adults to evaluate this together from time to time, and most sleep authors recommend that children by late preschool years by supported to sleep on their own to help them develop feelings of competency and autonomy.

Establishing pleasurable and relaxing bedtime rituals – Like sleeping arrangements, bedtime rituals need to take into account the needs and preferences of the child and other family members. Does an elaborated ritual of nightly bath time, books or storytelling, songs and snuggling quietly in a darkened room work for your family, or is a group book-reading followed by a kiss and hug as you tuck each child in bed a better fit? Find whatever works for your child and family.

Staying asleep – When we looked at sleep cycles, we saw that there is a “semi-alert” state that happens at the end of every cycle, usually about four hours after the child falls asleep. Staying asleep then involves the child being able to quiet him/herself, and move back into a deep sleep after periods of semi-alertness. Many factors may impact on the child’s development of this ability for self-quieting, from not having had enough active daytime play to be really tired; to increased sensitivity to outside stimulation (e.g., light, sounds, or the way clothing or bedding feels); to motor problems that make it hard to move to a comfortable position; to difficulties with self-regulation that may make relaxing back into sleep a challenge. Night waking can also be developmental in nature, as children between the ages of three and five may experience more nighttime fears (e.g., “There’s a monster in my closet!”) as they begin to wrestle with notions of fantasy and reality. Night terrors (different from nightmares) may start to occur during this time period as well. Although they are typically more upsetting to the grown-ups than to the child (who is not truly awake and does not remember them the next morning), knowing something about what to expect and what to do is usually helpful information to have before you need to use it!

Luckily, there are an abundance of good sources of information on children and sleep that parents and caregivers can refer to in their search to promote good sleeping habits for their children and themselves. Here are a small sample for your own “bedtime reading.” Maybe they’ll even help you fall asleep!

References
Brazelton, T.B. (1992) To Listen to a Child. Reading, MA: Perseus Books.
Ferber, R. (1985). Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Greenspan, S. & Weider, S. (1999). The Child with Special Needs. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Kranowitz, M. A. (1998). The Out-of-Sync Child. New York, NY: Berkeley Publishing Group.
Kurcinka, M. S. (1991). Raising Your Spirited Child. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Rubin, R. R., & Fisher, J. J. (1982). Your Preschooler. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Co.
Web site: www.healthysleeping.com - Lots of information on sleep and sleep disorders.

Back to Routines