Ahhhh…it’s the end of the day where our little lass is resting her sweet little head and my thoughts are finally my own. As important as it is for me to have this time to refocus on life outside of entertaining a toddler, it’s equally vital that she gets the rest that she needs. Not only will not logging enough hours of sawing logs make her cranky (which could in turn make her mommy a bit cranky), but too little sleep for her can affect her growth and her immune system. Recent studies have shown that less than eight hours of sleep for children could result in higher blood sugar. There are even reports of insufficient sleep being linked to learning difficulties and low self-esteem.
Taking into consideration that all kids are different, there are some guidelines for what the ranges of sufficient sleep should be. Up until they are six months old, babies will average 16-20 hours of sleep, split between day and night until their internal clocks are set. Between 6-12 
months old, an infant could get about three hours of sleep during the day and about 11 hours of sleep at night. From years 1-3, toddlers will slumber for 10-13 hours (although I will be the first to say that my little dozer doesn’t come close to this at night). By age 2, and unless a kid gets overly irritable during the day, they may not need to nap. Interestingly, this is the age where active dreaming begins, which can affect the quality of sleep a child gets. By preschool to school age, 10 hours seems to be the average.
At around 6 months, we began to establish a bedtime routine. Bath, mini-massage with lavender baby lotion, jammies, story, and into the crib. We try to start this routine around the same time every night. When she got to age 1 and weaned from nursing, I was afraid that she would have a hard time skipping that time and going to sleep on her own. We have found that sticking with her familiar routine made it very easy for her to transition. The first night she went down still awake, we did hear her cry for about 20 minutes. Every night since, for the most part, she has been put into her crib with her eyes open (but drowsy) and she has gone to sleep without any fuss. Establishing a simple, relaxing, consistent routine is essential.
We also learned from our pediatrician that it is a good idea to keep her room a little cooler, around 68 degrees. We do put her in warm pajamas, and now that she is big enough for a blanket (although she doesn’t always stay under it), we tuck her in so she’s cozy. We have a little nightlight that keeps Gargamel out from under her bed. She hasn’t taken to any “lovies,” but if a kid has a favorite security object, it can bring comfort and sleep.
There are still many sleepless nights ahead of us as parents, but trying to help our children get sufficient zzz’s will help them to stay on top of their game, and we can stay on top of ours.
Image Source: flickr.com/photos/peasap/2561252071
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