The benefits and dangers of inadequate quality sleep
Sleep is an essential part of human development. Sleeping early and adequately is as important as food to the body.
Lack of adequate sleep can spell dangers in the body, but I won’t be going into the science details of it.
How do you feel as a parent when you’ve not had enough consolidated sleep? Imagine sleeping for 3-4 hours consecutively for about 3 days. Tell me: tired, cranky, unhappy, exhausted, unproductive, the list is not exhaustive. Now, imagine what your children go through each day when they are not having enough good sleep. Mainly due to frequent wakes and late nights .
6 Benefits of good consolidated sleep
- Children are more alert at school, easily grasp and comprehend things. Which parent wouldn’t want this for their child? Yes, we know children can be forgetful, but it’s totally different from not being able to comprehend things quicker.
- Increase in concentration level.
- Physically and emotionally healthy as the brain repair and recovery takes place during a consolidated sleep period.
- Your child’s growth hormone is developed adequately during sleep.
- You get to have Me time for yourself when your child is fast asleep. You get to be more productive, have mummy time to make things happen.You can read a book or even raise your leg up and watch your favourite TV shows..
- It also provides more hours for bonding time with your partner. Don’t you love the sound of this….no interruption from your adorable one.
Mistakes parents make that hinder good sleep habits in their children:
- Bad habits by allowing your child to share the bed with you and your partner.
- Guilt: As a working parent as you give yourself the excuse that you need to bond with your child. However, most times, you don’t bond, rather everyone gets occupied with gadgets.
- Convenience to you due to lack of patience in putting your child to bed. You just don’t want to stop what you’re doing at the expense of your child’s health.
- You just want to give in or do not want your child to cry. Your child doesn’t want to go to bed. You then agree to let your child call the shots. Who is the parent? Who is the child?
5 Signs that show your child’s pattern needs to be improved
- Your child throws too many unnecessary tantrums.
- Your child cries too much especially in the mornings.
- If you have to wake the child up in the mornings and the child is refusing to wake up or is sleepy till he or she is ready for school.
- You are in and out of hospital many days except your child has a form of health challenge.
- You aren’t as productive as you should be as a mum.
Creating a pattern for your child needs consistency and a realistic sleep routine.
If you are having challenges creating a great consolidated sleep pattern for your child, you are advised to train your child.
Sleep training is basically a process of helping a baby learn to sleep well. Children need an average of about 10-14 hours of consolidated sleep everyday depending on their age. Newborns need about 14-16 hours.
Some mums say “I wasn’t sleep trained and I grew up great, why should I train my children?”. But what we forget as parents is that LIFE sleep trained us.
Remember those days of no gadgets, cable TV, or unlimited access to the internet. Remember, children’s TV stations close by 7pm. Your parents went to bed after 10pm news. There was no generator and when power goes off, everyone retires in bed. So we were sleeping well and having our uninterrupted sleep. Fast forward to this digital age with everything running 24 hours. 24-hour access to the internet, electricity, generators, TV, phones, etc. This lifestyle is greatly affecting our sleep patterns thus affecting the quality of our health.
Hence it is necessary to help your child develop a great sleep pattern now. Imagine their lives just 10 years down the line if nothing is done now in this digital age.
If your child isn’t having enough sleep or you as a mum aren’t either , you are harming both of you. Is this what you really want or will you do something about it today?
Think about it.….
Do you want to take a step in creating great sleep habits and lifestyle for your child? Click here to enjoy 20% discount on our several sleep packages.
You aren’t sure if purchasing a sleep package or hiring a child sleep consultant would be a good fit for your family? Email us so we can decide together or book a Free 15-minute phone consultation – Schedule now!
Can’t wait to work with you!
TEMI OLAJIDE is a Certified Child Sleep/Potty Training Consultant and Child Psychologist, and Nigeria’s first Child Sleep Consultant.
She’s the founder of Mummyclinicc, which hosts an online platform that provides strategies and result-driven solutions to the challenges of child rearing in the digital age.
Her latest book , Wi-Fi Kids and Analog Parents, equips parents on how to raise well-rounded kids in the digital age in Africa.
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