In this module, you will be learning about healthy sleep in young children. Below are the topics:

1. What is Healthy Sleep for your Child?
2. Why is Healthy Sleep Important?
3. What Changes Can you Expect to See as your Child’s Sleep Improves?
4. Changes can be Hard
5. Sleep Myths

After reviewing this module, please return to the instructional site to complete this week’s activities.

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What is Healthy Sleep for your Child?

11-12 hours a day, including naps

At least 10 hours should be nighttime sleep. Some of the important things your child’s body needs to do while she is asleep (like growing, healing, and storing memories) only happen during nighttime sleep, not naps.

Falling asleep on his own

Research has shown that children sleep more lightly if a parent is there when they fall asleep. This can lead to more night wakings and feeling more tired the next day. When young children wake up in the night, they usually need the same environment they had at bedtime to fall back asleep. So if you are there when your child falls asleep every night, he is probably going to need you there to help him fall back asleep every time he wakes up.

Within 20 minutes, by herself

First, being able to fall asleep quickly can help make sure your child gets enough sleep every night. Second, a child who can fall asleep quickly at the beginning of the night will have an easier time getting back asleep on her own after waking up in the night.

With other adults

For good sleep, night after night, it’s important that your child learns that bedtime and night wakings work the same way no matter who is in charge. This can cut down on bedtime drama and arguing.

Tired Preschoolers: What They Look Like

When preschoolers continue to miss hours of valuable sleep, their sleep debt grows and starts to take its toll on their behavior, sleep habits, and well-being.

Overtired preschoolers can be more:

Signs to watch out for:

1. Does my child fall asleep in the car?
2. Does my child fall asleep in front of the TV?
3. Do I have to wake up my child every morning or does she wake up on her own?
4. Is my child fussy or extra cranky when I wake her in the morning?
5. Does my child usually sleep in on the weekends?

Well-rested children shouldn’t be falling asleep at times other than bedtime or naptime. If you answered “yes” to some of these questions, your child may not be getting enough quality sleep.

When preschoolers are overtired, they tend to have more night wakings, trouble falling asleep, and nightmares. Sleep problems lead to more sleep problems; healthy sleep leads to more healthy sleep.

Sleep Affects Behavior

No one is their best when they don’t sleep enough, including preschoolers. Lack of sleep really impacts the way preschoolers behave.

When they’re not sleeping enough, preschoolers can be:

• Moodier
• Less attentive
• Hyperactive
• Aggressive
• Uncooperative

If preschoolers continue to miss out on sleep, these behavior bumps can cause some long-term problems as they grow up

A shortened attention span and hyperactive outbursts can make it harder to focus and succeed in school. Without healthy sleep habits, children will be more likely to make decisions without thinking them through. As children grow up and face lots of decisions, this can become a bigger problem.

When your child sleeps enough, she will feel and behave better. Plus, healthy sleep habits will help your child develop the skills he needs to be successful later on, like paying attention and staying controlled.

Sleep Affects Learning

Being tired slows your child down and takes a big toll on her daily learning, both now and in the future.

When your child doesn’t get enough quality sleep, it hurts her:

• Attention span
• Problem-solving skills
• Memory
• Creativity
• Ability to finish tasks quickly
• Ability to keep trying when something is hard or frustrating

Some problems down the road

Sleep problems can make it harder for your child to do well in school, listen to teachers, or get along with friends. Research has shown that sleep problems can lead to lower grades and test scores.

Teaching your child healthy sleep habits helps set her up for the greatest chance of success, both now and later on.

Sleep Affects Health

Pain

Studies looking at sleep and pain each day have found that children with JIA have more pain on days following a night of poorer sleep.  Also, children with JIA who usually have sleep problems also tend to have more pain. Scientists believe a lack of sleep may make your child’s body more sensitive to arthritis pain.

Immunity

When your child doesn’t sleep enough, her body is weaker and can’t protect itself as well against germs. When she isn’t sleeping well, she may get sick more easily or take longer to fight off a cold.

Growth

Your child’s body does some of its most important growth while she sleeps. Your child needs enough quality sleep to keep growing taller and stronger.

Obesity

New studies show that not getting enough sleep during the preschool years can lead to obesity, both now and as she grows older. Healthy sleep habits can help your child stay at a healthy weight now and keep her at a healthy weight later on. Obesity can be a particular problem for children with arthritis since added weight puts more strain on the joints.

Just like all those fruits and veggies, sleep needs to be part of your child’s healthy diet.

What Changes Can you Expect to See as your Child’s Sleep Improves

Fewer middle of the night disturbances

Being overtired can make it harder for your child to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. Once your child starts sleeping more, you may see a decrease in night wakings, nightmares, and night terrors. Your child may also have an easier time falling asleep at bedtime.

Behavior changes

During the day your child may be:

A working clock

Consistently getting more sleep helps set your child’s internal clock. Once set, it will help your child feel tired at the same time every night, and awake at the same time every morning. This will make it easier to stick to a consistent sleep schedule.

Change can take time. Sometimes it can take a week or two before you start seeing improvements. Staying patient and consistent will give you the best chance of seeing these changes.

Extinction Bursts on Your Road to Sleep Success

As a parent, you’ve probably already had the experience of trying to make changes to your child’s routine or behavior and know that making changes can be hard.  Whenever you change something about your child’s sleep, he isn’t going to understand what’s expected of him right away. It usually takes children a few days to learn the new rules.

Things get worse before they get better: Extinction bursts

Things often get worse for a few days before they get better. The first couple of nights are often the hardest. As they learn something new, preschoolers push limits to learn how things work and what the consequences are. This means extra tears and tantrums as your child tries to figure out the limits of the new rules. This is called an ‘extinction burst,’ and it happens to nearly every family changing their child’s sleep. Knowing to expect an extinction burst can make it easier to stick with the changes until your child learns and accepts the new rules or routines.

Staying consistent

Extinction bursts are a natural part of making changes to your child’s sleep. Try to stick to your new rules, especially when your child is pushing your limits. Doing so helps your child learn the new routine faster, and gives you the greatest chance at sleeping success. If you stay consistent, the extinction burst should stop after a couple of days.

After an extinction burst, things usually improve. However, be prepared for another extinction burst, though. Some families experience a second rough patch days or weeks later.

How to Overcome Setbacks

Nearly every family experiences occasional setbacks when making sleep changes. Your response to the setbacks is what matters. As you move through this program, you will be selecting goals to work on healthier sleep each week. We know that making these changes can be hard. Here are some ideas to help you stay on track as you begin to work towards your goals:

Stick to your changes

Changes can take up to a week or two of consistency before you start seeing improvement. Try to give your new rules some time before abandoning them. Staying consistent in your rules and responses will help you weather setbacks and help your child adjust to the new sleep plan faster. Try to communicate with your child’s other caregivers to make sure you are all on the same page.

Praise your child for other sleep successes

Focus on any steps your child made toward the sleep goal, instead of blaming him or yourself for mistakes. Talk about what you can do together to help make the next night more successful. Don’t expect perfection from yourself or your child. Instead, consider any change towards your goal a success!

Accept the small stuff

It’s not the end of the world if your child sleeps in his clothes one night. In the end, as long as you stay consistent on the big stuff, these small things won’t matter.

Focus on your child

Try not to compare your child to others. Every child has their own struggles at different times and in different ways. Even within a family, what is easy or works for one child may not be so for a sibling.

Sleep Myths

Sleep Myth 1: Your child can catch up on missed sleep on the weekend.

Sleeping more on the weekend to “catch up” on missed sleep may sometimes work for grown-ups, but it doesn’t work for kids.

Not at his best

During the week, he will be moodier and less motivated, focused, and creative.

Sleep debt buildup

When your child doesn’t sleep enough during the week, he builds up “sleep debt.” This can make for some tough bedtime battles during the week. The bigger his sleep debt, the more likely he is to resist bedtime and have night wakings and nightmares. If you’ve ever traveled to another time zone with your child, you know how difficult jet lag can be on young kids (and parents!). When kids build up a sleep debt, it is like have handle jet lag every week.

A serious case of the Mondays

Sleeping in on the weekend can throw off your child’s sleep schedule. When your child changes his schedule by just an hour or two, it confuses his internal clock. This can make it harder for your child to get back on schedule when Monday rolls around, which can lead to extra sleep problems the rest of the week and starts the process of sleep problems all over again. If extra sleep is needed, a short nap can help. However, naps only help make up for sleep lost the night before and not for sleep lost earlier in the week.

Sleep Myth 2: Children grow out of their sleep problems

Down the road

Just as children don’t grow out of using diapers without being potty trained, children don’t grow out of their sleep problems without their parents teaching them how to fall asleep and stay asleep all night long. When childhood sleeping problems go unsolved, they can turn into long-term sleeping problems in later childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Fortunately, fixing sleep problems at this age is much easier than trying to fix them later on in life.

Your role in your child’s sleep

Children need their parent’s help to learn healthy sleep habits. Teaching your child how to sleep better doesn’t necessarily mean making huge changes. Small changes can go a long way in improving your child’s sleep. By taking an active role in your child’s sleep, you can prevent these sleeping problems from turning into life- long problems.

After reviewing this module, please return to the instructional site to complete this week’s activities. Remember, you can return to this page to review the materials at any time.