November 2022 | Samantha Monahan, OTR/L

Interested in learning some strategies that can help your child and you sleep better?

This blog will focus on:

• How much sleep does your child needs

• The implications of poor or lack of sleep

• How can you improve your child’s sleep hygiene

Have you ever wondered if your child is getting enough sleep? Or, do you know that your child is NOT getting enough sleep and it is negatively impacting your entire household? As a mom of 2, I am no stranger to sleep deprivation and how lack of sleep can impact every aspect of your life. Quality sleep is an essential component of health and well-being, and healthy sleep habits promote a wide range of healthy outcomes for your child’s mind and body. Sleep is a vital occupation of daily living, and children require sleep just like they need food or exercise for a healthy and happy lifestyle. Keep reading to find out how you can optimize your child’s sleep using sensory strategies!

How much sleep does my child need?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants ages 4-12 months should be getting a total of 12-16 hours of sleep (including naps) per day.

Requirements drop by 1-2 hours for subsequent age ranges, as follows:

• 1-2 years: 11-14 hours per day (including naps)

• 3-5 years: 10-13 hours per day (including naps)

• 6-12 years: 9-12 hours per day (including naps)

• 13-18 years: 8-10 hours per day (including naps)

Implications of poor or lack of sleep

It is no secret that quality sleep promotes health and well-being, but what does poor sleep mean for your child and their physiological function? Children who do not receive the recommended number of hours of sleep per night are reported as being 3x more likely to earn lower grades and/or have school-related learning issues. In addition, poor sleep can negatively impact cognitive function and executive functioning skills; it can stunt growth and development, affect mood and overall mental health, as well as negatively impact a person’s ability to make and maintain healthy relationships, including friendships. Children who experience a lack of sleep can exhibit behaviors that mimic attention or certain learning deficits. Sleep problems in children can increase the risk of: diagnosis of ADHD and learning difficulties, poor mental health including depression and anxiety, and increased risk of chronic health conditions. In addition, sleep issues can negatively impact the family unit if: the caregivers are overtired as a result; there is increased family stress related to sleep issues; caregivers/partners have less one on one time. Quality sleep helps people perform at their optimal level.

How can you improve your child’s sleep hygiene

It is reported that 10-20% of infants and young children are not getting enough sleep; and as many as 40-75% of school-aged children are not getting the recommended number of hours per night. How can you help your child maximize the quality and quantity of their sleep?

1. Consider your child’s sensory needs in their bed and bedroom:

   • Auditory: Does a sound machine help drown out extraneous noise? Or will the additional sound make the environment too auditorily cluttered for their sensory systems to relax?

   • Visual: Do they need a nightlight, or will the additional light be too alerting?

   • Tactile: Is the temperature comfortable? Does your child have texture preferences related to clothing, blankets, and style of pajamas? Do they prefer a heavy weighted blanket or a light sheet?

2. You can use sensory strategies during bedtime prep too!

   • Consider the olfactory system and use calming scents like lavender

   • Tactile: provide deep-pressure tactile input while scrubbing in the bath

   • Proprioceptive: Wrap children in a warm towel and provide deep pressure while drying them off

   • Visual: keep lights low during bath and books

   • Oral Motor: use an electric toothbrush to provide oral motor input when brushing teeth; provide a crunchy, warm, or chewy nighttime snack before bed to target oral motor input.

3. Eliminate distractions

   • Don’t allow toys or stuffed animals in bed, unless there is a certain comfort item that helps promote sleep specifically for your child. Keep the room clutter-free and visually calming.

4. Stay Active and Get Outside

   • The more physically active children are during the day, the better they will sleep at night! Encourage movement, heavy work and deep pressure activity to help regulate their sensory system. These may include animal walks, pushing/pulling/dragging/carrying heavy items, rolling up tightly in blankets, burrowing under or behind heavy blankets or pillows.

   • Ensure your child has adequate time to play outside and get fresh air during the day and the sun helps set the body’s circadian rhythms!

   • Keep movement activities far enough before bedtime that it does not have the opposite effect and increase alertness right before it’s time to settle down.

5. Limit Screen Time

   • Screen time is alerting to the visual system and can be detrimental to attaining healthy sleep. Limit total screen time and stop screen time well before bedtime (1.5 hours prior). The blue light from the screen negatively impacts natural circadian rhythms.

If I learned one thing as I navigated sleep with my infants into toddlers, it was to be consistent! Set a routine and stick to it. I found myself trying one strategy for one day (or maybe even just one nap) and if it didn’t work, I’d throw it away in exchange for another before really having a chance to see if this new approach even worked. It is crucial to set a structured and reliable bedtime routine for those children who struggle to fall and stay asleep. Help their body recognize when it’s time for sleep by doing the same pre-bed routine every single night. Keep it simple, calming, and relatively quick (less than 20 minutes), and keep bedtimes consistent each day.

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