There are 5 main methods to sleep training/sleep coaching a child. In early 2021, after completing my Sleep Certification program & mentorship, I am excited to be joining the Tiny Transitions team, to support tired parents on their quest for rest and a Pediatric Sleep Specialist, based in Dallas, TX. I can’t tell you how handy it was to already have the knowledge to maintain happy and healthy sleep habits for the family. We recently had twins to add to our toddler. I took my toolbox and applied it and soon the whole house was resting through that night. My engineer side knew I could solve this issue. I quickly turned to google and friends to take in any and all information as I could. When our first son was born, I had read as many books as I could on babies, but nothing really prepared me for the sleepless nights. Sleep is no different, I am here to help with all the sleep confusions you may have. Like a true engineer, I like to know how things work and go together. I am a mechanical engineer who designed aircraft for over ten years, and then decided to kick it up by becoming a mom. To learn more, visit you were to sum me up in one word it would be FIXER. Lack of sleep has also been connected to hyperactivity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, irritability, impulsivity and issues with focus, according to Dr. Of the more prevalent sleep disorders experienced in Americans, insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and parasomnias such as sleepwalking or talking impact sleep quantity and/or quality. Pardo recommends contacting a primary care provider who may refer an individual to a mental health professional, a sleep specialist in the event a more serious sleep disorder is at hand, and/or exploring the option of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. If these tactics do not work or are hard to come by, Dr. This allows our body and brain to descend into that sleepy mode by getting nice and relaxed, for a healthy night’s sleep.” “Winddown activities are anything calm and restful and can include reading a book, singing lullabies to children and listening to music. Pardo recommends that activities in the evening before bed are conducive to rest. Pardo said, noting that the bedroom should be screen-free and kept in a quiet, dark and cool environment, between 68-72 degrees. If people struggle with overthinking, we want to practice relaxation or mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing or visualization, or try strategies like writing down our worries or the tasks we are thinking about that are keeping us awake,” she said.Īn important part of working with sleep is maintaining good sleep hygiene, Dr. “When it comes to bedtime, the goal is to be in a calm and relaxed state. If an individual suffers from anxiety, the body and brain are in a state of high alert. Sleep can also be a component of mental health issues, said Dr. In addition, they are more likely to have attention and behavior problems, which can contribute to poor academic performance in school, according to the CDC. Of the high school students surveyed, almost two-thirds sleep less than eight hours nightly.Ĭhildren and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health and injuries. Teenagers (ages 14-17) require 8-10 hours of sleepĪ Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study found that nearly six in 10 middle schoolers and at least seven in 10 high schoolers don’t sleep enough on school nights.School-age children (ages 6-13) require 9-11 hours of sleep.Preschoolers (ages 3-5) require 10-13 hours of sleep.According to the National Sleep Foundation: Try falling asleep 15 minutes earlier and setting the alarm 15 minutes earlier,” said Marta Lynn Pardo, PhD, LSSP-Health Psychologist, and program/clinical developer with Parkland Health’s Pediatric Integrated Behavioral Health Program.ĭepending on a child’s age, physical activity and individual needs, the amount of sleep needed varies. “In the weeks before students return to the classroom, encourage them to start adjusting their bedtime and waketime by small 15-minute increments. A regular schedule not only helps prevent fatigue, exhaustion and daytime drowsiness, it lets the body know when it’s time to sleep and to wake up.īut sometimes the relationship with sleep isn’t always a positive one, especially for those who may toss and turn throughout the night or even sleepwalk. Sleep is important to maintaining an overall healthy quality of life for both adults and children. Sleep is essential to children’s success at school
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