4 Common Misconceptions about Children’s Sleep Every Parent Faces

Sleep is crucial for a child's development, yet not every parent knows how to take care of their child's sleep. There are four common misconceptions about children's sleep that all parents encounter.

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In order to take care of your child’s sleep effectively, parents should not overlook the misconceptions mentioned in the following article to help their children sleep well and healthy!

1Misconception: Never wake a sleeping child

Many parents, when they see their child sleeping soundly, do not want to wake them up and let them sleep as much as possible. However, according to Jennifer Gingrasfield, a pediatric nurse at the Sleep Center of Boston Children’s Hospital, “do not just focus on the number of hours of sleep, but pay attention to the time your child needs to wake up in the morning and noon.”

Most parents tend to let their children sleep more hours than necessary, which can affect their biological clock. In some cases, parents may have trouble getting their child to fall back asleep or maintain a good sleep.

For newborns, they can sleep up to 20 hours per day. For children from 6 months old, the sleep duration should be limited to 13 hours. Before the child reaches 1 year old, the sleep duration should be reduced to 12.5 hours per day.

Misconception: Never wake a sleeping child

2Misconception: All children must be sung lullabies to fall asleep

Singing lullabies to help children fall asleep easier has been a common practice for many parents. However, “in many cases, when there are pauses in the song or when the song changes, it can startle the child and disrupt their sleep.”

When a child becomes too dependent on predefined melodies, it can hinder their ability to develop the necessary skills to self-soothe and return to sleep. It is better if the child can sleep in a space with natural sounds in the house. This will help them develop a habit of falling asleep in any space without relying on music or parents spending time lulling them to sleep.

Misconception: All children must be sung lullabies to fall asleep

3Misconception: Wearable monitoring devices can prevent sudden infant death syndrome

Many parents choose to buy clothes with technology connections or socks and wristbands that can sense breath, measure heart rate, and movements. However, “these modern technologies do not reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) as many people think.”

The best way to reduce the risk of SIDS is to ensure that the child sleeps in the same room with the parents in the first year, in a comfortable space lying on their back, without additional blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals.

Misconception: Wearable monitoring devices can prevent sudden infant death syndrome

4Misconception: Short naps are unnecessary

Ignoring a child’s short naps can significantly impact their mental health and energy levels. When a child at the age of learning to walk takes a short nap, it is enough to recharge their energy and effectively reduce stress.

If a child does not have a short nap during the day, they may feel more tired and have trouble falling asleep at night. Therefore, parents should encourage their children to take short naps until they reach the age of 3.

Misconception: Short naps are unnecessary

Sleep is essential for the health of young children, so parents need to pay special attention to taking care of their child’s sleep in a healthy and scientific way for their well-being!

Source: Fatherly

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