Sleep Hygiene refers to the pattern of sleep readiness, ease of falling asleep, qualities of sleep and the overall effectiveness of that duration of sleep. Many children have very poor sleep hygiene. Examples of some poor sleep hygiene practices include co-sleeping, inability to self soothe and settle to sleep independently, frequent awakenings, falling asleep while being simultaneously being exposed to screen time.
Let’s discuss some poor sleep hygiene practices. Co-sleeping is a poor habit for several reasons. From the stage of infancy, co-sleeping is associated with an increased risk of ‘sudden infant death syndrome’. I often hear parents say things like “I don’t move in my sleep”, or “I would not roll on my baby”. Unfortunately, this does not happen until the time it does happen. Also, co-sleeping increased repetitive re-engagement and unnecessary awakenings of the infant. This results in reduced or completely absent self-soothing practices. These infants often have a delay in the ability to sleep through the night. They also have increased chances of sleep disturbances such as night terrors and or nightmares.
Another factor that contributes to poor sleep hygiene is the presence of a television in the bedroom. The American Academy of Pediatrics has long had a stance recommending the absence of the television in a child’s bedroom. The television is an entertainment system that ideally should be utilized by the family as a whole. Keeping the television in a common area of the home also helps with the management and limitation of inappropriate programs for your child. Parents may be mistakenly reassured when their children sleep for 9 or more hours every night. If this is consistently involving falling asleep with a television, the child’s overall sleep quality is likely very poor. It is recommended there be no screen time up to 2 hours prior to the goal sleep onset time.
In conclusion, there are two major steps, if kept consistently will ensure that your child is on the way to the best sleep practices. Firstly, place your child to sleep when they are still awake. Being awake but calm and content alone in bed should be the goal for your child. Secondly, have a consistent routine in the hours leading up to bedtime. This pattern building helps your child to subconsciously mentally prepare for sleep.