Sleep - Criical to Your Childs Health

How to Set a Healthy Sleep Schedule for Kids

To ensure a healthy and proper development for your child, it is important to make sure that they are getting enough sleep. But, as many parents know, some children do not have an affinity towards sleep. At times, they will fight tooth and nail against laying down quietly for the night. Letting your child stay up a little longer can sometimes diffuse their anger, but oftentimes it only leads to the child losing a few hours of sleep that night. This, in turn, can harm your child's health if done on a regular basis.

How much sleep does a child need? Because your child can function on six or seven hours of sleep, does that mean that he is getting enough? It is critical to know that all kids are unique people, and what is the needed quantity of sleep for your kids might be totally different from the appropriate amount of sleep for your friends child.

Growing bodies need more sleep. As a result, infants tend to sleep much more than adults and other children. Their development depends on it. Most babies should sleep around 15 hours a day, which includes naps and nighttime sleeping. Regular and frequent feedings are also encouraged in order to keep your infant from getting hungry. After infants reach six months old however, their sleep pattern should be gradually changed. It is a good idea to try to get your infant to sleep through the night and take shorter naps during the day. Proper sleep patterns at very early ages are vital to healthy rates of growth and development.

Toddlers normally sleep from ten and thirteen hours each night. This also should be uninterrupted sleep, but since this is the time when babies start to actively dream, you can expect to have a dream or two that wakes up your child. It is a good idea to hold and comfort your child after a scary dream. This is also the time when many children drop their afternoon naps. If your child stops showing signs of needing a nap, it is fine for them to drop their nap routine. As your child begins the preschool years, they will still need around ten hours of sleep each night.

But these times are just general rules for children's sleep needs. The best way to ensure that your child is getting enough sleep is to watch his or her signals. You, as a parent, know what signals your child shows when sleepy. Once you start to notice a particular time in the day when your child begins to show signs that she is sleepy, establish this as her bedtime. While you do not have to stop your life for a bedtime schedule, it is important to stick to the bedtime as much as possible. As your child learns to consistently go to sleep at the same time every day, she will begin to develop good, healthy sleeping patterns. The best way to encourage the reluctant child to head to bed is to establish a routine that you go through every day when it is bedtime. This helps the child to wind down and relax after a busy, fun-filled day.

For additional useful information click here Child Obesity Statistics with more helpful material at Doctors On Child Obesity and go to Morbid Obesity In Children