By Joan Goodchild
6/12/10
During those first several sleep-deprived months after bringing baby home, your biggest concern is usually how your little one is eating. But not too far below feeding on the list of things you think about is sleep. Each day is spent trying to get baby to snooze, and attempting to squeeze in some slumber for you, too. Both are goals that can be elusive as you and your little one get into a comfortable groove.
Pediatricians and sleep experts often suggest developing a sleep routine for babies and children. From the beginning of life, it is recommended that parents get into the habit of doing the same wind-down techniques each night with their kids. These often include a relaxing bath, a book, a lullaby or gentle song, and then lights out. Check out some of ParentHandbook's other tips for bedtime in Getting Your Child to Sleep.
A new study released this week puts even more importance on the bedtime routine. Among the findings from SRI International, a California-based, non-profit research institute, is the conclusion that children in households with bedtime rules score higher on a range of developmental assessments.
The study included approximately 8,000 children and was based on information from parent phone interviews when their child was 9 months old, and again when their child was 4 years old. A regular bedtime was the most consistent predictor of positive developmental outcomes at 4 years of age, according to SRI. Scores for receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, literacy and early math abilities were higher in children whose parents reported having rules about what time their child goes to bed. Having an earlier bedtime also was predictive of higher scores for most developmental measures.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, preschool children should get a minimum of 11 hours of sleep each night. The study's authors found children who slept less than 11 hours a night had lower scores on phonological awareness, literacy and early math skills.
A bedtime routine has always been a must in my house. I even consider it a survival technique on those long days when I am just aching to get my kids to sleep so I can zone out with a book or a TV show. As the bath water starts running, I feel myself start to unwind as well. Reading books to my children before hitting the hay is always one of my favorite activities. And I can't even imagine getting my kids to sleep without singing a special, made-up version of Brahms lullaby to my son, and "Rainbow Connection" to my daughter. How each child came to have their special song is anyone's guess. But I've been singing them as long as I can remember putting each one of them to bed.
What is the sleep routine in your house? Did you start your ritual when your child was just an infant? How important is a strict bedtime to you? Leave a comment and tell us how you send your little one off to the Land of Nod each night!