The foundation for healthy sleep habits needs to be taught in infancy. When we wait too long to recognize, respect, and respond to our children’s need for sleep early on, things can quickly spiral out of control even before a child’s first birthday. We are noticing rampant rates of ADHD and Autism spectrum disorders being diagnosed in little ones as young as 3 years old, as sleep deprived parents are unable to recognize sleep deprivation in their own children. Realize that the timing of sleep is more important than the amount. A qualified child sleep consultant can help you get your child the deep restorative sleep they need. It’s not about sleeping in, or catching an ill-timed nap. This is junk sleep. And just as you wouldn’t feed your kids junk food, we don’t want to feed them junk sleep. Jet lag syndrome in adults is a sobering example of this.
Snooze or Lose…
Overstimulated, overscheduled kids are getting at least an hour’s less sleep than they need, a deficiency that, new research reveals, has the power to set their cognitive abilities back years. http://nymag.com/news/features/38951/