Is My Child Getting Enough Sleep?

In recent studies done in 2019, did you know that "around 30 percent of children in the U.S don't get enough sleep?" I'm sure we all have heard it as a parent... including "Don't worry, they will sleep when they are tired," but with these numbers, it doesn't seem to be the case. Add a side of "newborn fog," and it all seems to feel normal, letting natural sleep cycles and schedules take it's course, resulting in a tired parent and a super tired child.

Further studies even suggest there's a large gap in how much sleep feels right. Another study also found that a majority of parents/caregivers says their child gets the “right amount” of sleep; however, comparing the number of hours they think their child should sleep with the number of hours they report the child actually sleeps showed a pretty significant gap.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published their recommended sleep times by age. These guidelines is intended to support the age-appropriate development needs for growth. Sleep has a ton of benefits, especially in the first 1,000 days of life.

Children need adequate sleep for attention, behavior, memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and strength for further gross and motor skills.

What happens if they don't get enough sleep?

So why are some children not getting enough sleep and what can we do about it?

Learn more about how we work with families to help their babies sleep 10+ hours at night without Cry-it-out or Ferber. Join our free webinar!