The behavior of young children that constantly cry, misbehave at night, and refuse to sleep is a problem that many parents struggle with. This sleeping habit not only negatively affects the child’s health, but can also impact their intellectual development.
Studies have shown that sleeping habits can greatly impact the quality of a child’s sleep. Children who frequently seek their parents’ comfort when going to bed may become overly dependent on them, which can lead to sleep-related issues such as late-night sleeping and difficulty falling asleep. This prolonged condition will undoubtedly affect the quality of sleep and, consequently, the secretion of growth hormones during sleep, which is not beneficial for the child’s height and intellectual development.
The production of growth hormones in the body undergoes changes depending on the quality of sleep. If a child’s sleep quality does not meet requirements and the secretion of growth hormones is low, the process of brain development will occur at a slower pace. On the contrary, a child who has a consistent sleeping habit and the ability to independently go to bed from a young age usually has better sleep quality. High-quality sleep stimulates the faster secretion of growth hormones, thus promoting the overall development of the body and maximizing intellectual development, resulting in a higher IQ for children.
A study conducted by Harvard Medical School in the United States has shown that the memory abilities of children who have difficulty sleeping, late bedtimes, and shallow sleep are significantly lower than those of children who can easily fall asleep, have early bedtimes, and have deep sleep.
In addition to the impact on intelligence, sleeping habits can also affect a child’s independence and personality.
Independence
This shows that the need for parental comfort when children go to bed may stem from their excessive dependence on their parents. When they grow up, they may struggle to be independent, unable to organize tasks, and gradually rely on their parents. At the same time, they may become shy and indecisive. On the other hand, children who can sleep on their own tend to be more independent, not only knowing how to organize tasks efficiently but also being courageous. They have superior abilities and adapt well to a strong environment.
Personality
Children who know how to sleep on their own from a young age, meaning they know how to sleep alone, tend to develop into disciplined children who are not overly demanding or in need of excessive education from their parents. In contrast, children who need comfort when going to bed tend to be hot-tempered, often throw tantrums and cry when things don’t go their way, or cause trouble when they grow up.
Furthermore, some studies have shown that children who have difficulty sleeping tend to develop introverted personalities, feeling lonely and disliking interaction with peers. On the other hand, children who can sleep on their own often have dynamic, optimistic, and friendly personalities.
2 Simple Ways to Train Children to Sleep Well
Training children to sleep on their own and maintaining a good night’s sleep is extremely important. Parents can consider the following methods to make this process more convenient.
Control daytime sleep time
To create better conditions for children to sleep at night, mothers should limit their sleep to no more than 4 hours in one nap. However, if the child sleeps too little, they will become tired, irritable, and have difficulty falling asleep.
Train the child to sleep using the pick-up/put-down method
This method requires patience and energy from parents. Specifically, lifting the child up and putting them down repeatedly for about 20 minutes or even longer until the child begins to feel sleepy. This constant repetition will gradually form a habit for the child to fall asleep without crying at night.
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