Sunday Sleep Dilemma

Q: How do you transition from 1 to 2 naps? How do I know my baby is ready? What should I expect?

A: Around 14-22 months old (18 months is pretty average), you will probably notice your baby start taking shorter naps or not going to sleep for the afternoon nap (for some reason this often happens) but still taking a good morning nap (this often leaves a parent perplexed). Something will present itself as "off" in your baby's sleep schedule. Really, these are just the signs that they are ready to transition to only an afternoon nap (Yes, an afternoon nap, even if that is the nap they are skipping).

Some ideas for making the transition as seamless as possible:

• Have your baby take a morning nap somedays and an afternoon nap. Other days have them just take an afternoon nap. On the afternoon only day make the nap a bit earlier 12:30 or so and then an earlier bedtime.
  
• Keep your baby busy during the normal morning nap time- have a playdate, go to the park, run errands. Come home before lunchtime, eat, and put them down for a nap. Note: Don't fret if they fall asleep in the car and take a little cat nap. In this case it will be ok- try not to let that happen right before the naptime you want them to take.
• When they start taking the one afternoon nap, it will probably start around 1 and last until 3:30-4:30. They will probably also need an earlier bedtime- possible 7pm, maybe as early as 6:30. The time will adjust as they get older.
  

"It's okay":

• If your baby needs two naps somedays that is okay.
• If your baby takes a short nap that is okay. (They will eventually adjust to one long afternoon nap. If they are waking up tired you may want to just leave them in there until the desired wake up time, so they can learn to take that longer nap. Give them the chance... this is a big change.

*BE PATIENT- this is a change and will take a bit of time. One to three year olds should get about 12-14 hours of sleep a day
*Once you are on the one nap a day schedule, this schedule will continue for the next 2-3 years until they transition out of naps.
*Protect that afternoon naptime- they need it!
*Don't forget about sleep environment. As they get older, distractions come easier to them- you may want to opt for black out shades of some sort.
*Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is a great book and sleep resource for all the ages and changes.

Saturday Sleep Tip

Sometimes your child/children have to take a nap or go to sleep at someone else's house. This may be a one time occurrence; it may be something that happens when you go to dinner at someone's house; it may be that they take naps at Grandma's house when you go to work. Whatever the circumstances, my advice is basically the same...

• Try to get babies/kids used to this earlier in life- don't be afraid to put them down at someone else's house when you are out and it is naptime.
• Create as similar of a sleep environment as possible: dark room, sound spa/white noise, pack n play, whatever they sleep with. (I have been known to cover brighter windows with blankets (pushpins are handy for this), use tape and aluminum paper...).
• If someone else is going to put your child down for a nap it helps if you have put them down there before.

*If a child is more familiar with a location going to sleep will be easier.
*Babies may cry as a way of complaining that this isn't their bed. They may just have to cry- it doesn't mean that they aren't tired and shouldn't go to bed there. Setting the expectation that they are going to sleep there is a good idea.
*For older children, you can explain the situation. You may also want to make sure the room is kid proof. I know of kids that have gotten into candles and made messes. My own children have scattered my mom's dresser contents all over the place.
*Being able to sleep in another location is a great idea- saves on babysitter costs, makes traveling easier, makes babysitters and daycare transitions easier, makes it easier for grandparents or others that watch your children, makes children portable and makes it so you aren't always homebound.

Article Review Day 2: Normal Sleep and Sleep Problems

Definitions:
Normal Sleep-"After the newborn period, normal sleep can be defined as the quantity and quality of nonrapid eye movement (NREM) and REM slee necessary to refresh the child."
Sleep Problem- "A sleep problem is any sleep pattern that interferes with the refreshing nature of sleep or that appreciably disrupts the sleep of others."

Courtney interjected thought: I think that too many children do not receive "normal sleep". We need to make sure as parents that we make the strides necessary to get our children the sleep they need- that may mean cutting errands short, hiring a babysitter, staying in more often, saying no to your child as they try to temper tantrum their way out of bedtime. PLEASE make sure they get the sleep they need!!

Sleep Problem Examples:
-"Any sleep problem that interferes with the child obtaining the optimal amount of sleep required for normal growth and development, emotional and psychological health, and proper immune function."
-Minor sleep problems: awakening a parent for a drink every night or to go the bathroom or waking up at the crack of dawn(if this is a behavior the parent wants to stop) or if this is inhibiting the quality of the child's sleep or making it so the child does not get enough sleep

Types of Sleep Problems:
-Dysomnias "are problems in which the child has trouble falling or staying asleep at night, or experiences excessive sleepiness during the day."
*They are the major cause of "disturbed nighttime sleep and daytime sleepiness..." Most common of these problems include: sleep-onset association disorder, limit-setting sleep disorder, inadequate sleep hygiene, insufficient sleep syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

-Parasomnias "involve behaviors or physiologic events that interrupt sleep after sleep onset, and include disorders of arousal, partial arousal, or with transition between the stages of sleep."
*They are frequently between the ages of 3 to 8 years old, "and children who experience one of these problems are likely to experience symptoms of another sleep problem. They are typically a developmental phenomenon and tend to subside as the child matures. In general, parasomnias are exacerbated by poor sleep schedules and inadequate sleep."
**"Parental education regarding proper sleep hygiene is essential for these children." (Great start visiting Lullaby Luna)
Examples of parasomnias: confusional arousal, sleepwalking, sleep terrors, nightmares, and rhythmic movement disorders.

Sunday Sleep Dilemma

Q: My 3 year-old doesn't seem tired until 8:30-9pm, so we wait until then to put her down. In the morning she seems extremely cranky, could she be tired?

A: Hyperactivity is a sign of being tired, so a child can act full of energy and still need to go to sleep. And some older children don't give clear sleep signs- yawning, saying they are tired, or such.

I suggest basing your child's bedtime on an age appropriate amount of sleep needed. A three-year old may or may not have an afternoon nap, and she should get around 12-14 hours of sleep a day. If she is cranky in the morning she probably needs more sleep. Be firm and set clear and consistent limits when it comes to bedtime. A short and simple bedtime routine with clear expectations is a great way to start. Explain that at night she is going to take a bath after dinner, brush teeth, put on PJs, and then she gets to listen to you read two books (be specific- so it isn't the endless"And another one.")

Be Wary: Don't let your child suck away her much needed sleep with excuses and delaying. As parents we need to protect their much needed sleep and say no when needed.

Article Review Day 1: Sleep Problems

I just read an interesting article in an online medical journal. The article was written by Katherine Finn Davis, Kathy P. Parker, and Gary L. Montgomery.

They have found that "approximately 25% of children younger than 5 years experience some type of sleep problem. Whether the problem is acute or chronic, significant disruption to the child's sleep can occur and have a negative impact on the child and family."

As I have become more interested in sleep, I have reflected back on my teaching years... specific student's issues, SST meetings (Student Study Team), parent concerns and issues at home, etc. I think that amount of sleep, and really over all care, need to be a part of the process that schools go through as they work to identify and deal with a student's issue(s). I also think that doctors need to make sure that they are aware of a child's sleep as they work with a patient or diagnose a problem.

This article also states that "Pediatric health care providers are not well prepared in the basic aspects of pediatric sleep. Children with sleep problems who are seen in general pediatric clinics rarely have problems addressed, diagnosed, or treated, even when providers ask about sleep issues during the visit. Failure to recognize sleep patters can be attributed to parental lack of knowledge, lack of clinician expertise, or hurried discussions regarding the child's sleep behaviors." Because of this large percentage of children with some type of sleep problem, teachers, doctors, nurses, and social workers need to help parents in identifying and addressing sleep problems that really could change a child- their behavior, their attention span, their academic progress, their health... sleep is so important and necessary.

In the coming Thursdays, I will be looking at the different sleep problems highlighted in this study.

National Sleep Awareness Week Just Ended...

...And here are some resources and thoughts from the Sleep Foundation website:

• New Book Details How to Get A Good Night's Sleep
  "A Good Night’s Sleep, a new book by National Sleep Foundation Board Chairman Meir H. Kryger, MD, FRCPC, will teach you everything you need to know about sleep."
• Some results from the sleep poll that was taken, can you identify with?: "The quick polls, which were featured daily on sleepfoundation.org, found that employment concerns (24 percent) and personal financial concerns (24 percent) were two of the top reasons people couldn't sleep at night.
• Here is a link to Children's Sleep that reiterates the amount of sleep children should be getting. Are your kids getting what they should?
  

Sleep Product Review: Night Lights

Please check out the following link Babble Best Night Lights to see a review on some fun and interesting night lights.

Saturday Sleep Tip: Put Your Kids to Bed!

Please make sure your children are getting enough sleep. As kids get older their sleep signs are not as obvious and they can be easily distracted into an activity so you may not notice their tiredness. We are also tired and done at the end of the day and may ignore sleep signs or not want to deal with the struggle to put them to bed at the appropriate time.

Signs that your child is not going to bed early enough and/or not getting the sleep they need daily:

• Tired in the morning
• Cranky, misbehaving, emotional
• Waking up too early (this is ironically often caused by not getting enough sleep)

Please for your child's sake and your own make sure they receive the needed amount of sleep (NOTE: some kids may need more than suggested) and not accumulate sleep debt.

National Sleep Week- Previous Tips

Previous Weeks Tips

National Sleep Awarness Week

National Sleep Awareness Week

Follow this link to stay up-to-date- tips, sleep information...