Why is sleep so important?

This blog underscores why I do what I do!

This is going to provide a few snippets of why sleep is so important.

Dr William Dement, the founder of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center, has conducted extensive research that suggests that sleep is the single most important factor in predicting how long people will live- more influential than diet, exercise or heredity.  However current research shows that between 20 and 30 percent of all infants and toddlers will have some difficulty sleeping.  And although many parents tell themselves “They’ll grow out of it” the truth is the majority of these cases persist for three to five years.

Infants or toddlers who aren’t getting enough sleep are easy to spot.  They will frequently rub their eyes and faces throughout the day- even if they have only been awake for an hour- and they are more likely than well-rested children to suddenly “loose it” Many sleep-deprived children also start to develop behaviors that are usually called “overactive” or “hyperactive.” They may even be labeled as “attention deficit” children. Children who sleep 10 to 12 hours a night wake up well-rested, attentive, cheerful and are best able to cope with and learn from their environment.  Parents too, will feel better equipped to perform the demanding tasks of work and family life.  Sleep is super important for you too!  Well-rested parents are able to connect, get stuff done and enjoy parenthood.  They look forward to bedtime.  They don’t dread it, push it off or have heart palpitations about what bedtime will be like, or worry how many times baby will be up at night. 

Poor sleep problems in infants and children contribute significantly to maternal and paternal health, even in moms without a history of depression.  Parents have worse mental health issues-especially depression and anxiety-when infant sleep problems persist.  Sometimes it’s really important for us as parents to put on our oxygen masks first so that we can better help out our children and family.

Not only does getting good sleep make for happier, healthier and more engaged parents, it also leads to healthier babies! Studies have shown that sleep benefits infants’ memories and general cognitive and emotional development. Sleep is a very important part of your child’s mental and physical health because it allows your child’s mind and body to rest and recover.  Your child’s brain needs sleep to restore resources that were used up during the day. A well-rested brain can solve problems, learn new information and enjoy the day a lot more than a tired brain.

It is both baby and parent-friendly to help your baby to sleep well—it truly is beneficial to the entire family when baby gets good rest!

If you want more information or have questions, please reach out!