Safe Sleeping Tips

Last week I was invited to host and attend a seminar hosted by Radys Children’s Health Network and Children’s Primary Care Medical Group. Cleverly titled, “Good Night, Sleep Tight” the conversations of the night covered the topic of sleep. We were greeted by two local physicians who both chat a lot about sleep with their parents. Dr. Adrienne Lostetter is a pediatrician and member of the Children’s Primary Care Medical Group. And Dr. Rakesh Bhattacharjee is a pediatric pulminologist and director of the Sleep Center at Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego.

Both tackled the topic of sleep as Dr. Lostetter covered typical sleep cycles and how to help our kids get to sleep. Dr. Bhattacharjee helped us understand the issues that arise when there are sleep problems (more on that topic later!). Then we had a little fun when Jimbo’s… Naturally! shared some fun sugar scrub recipes with us. Including an adapted version of my Vanilla Mint scrub that the attendees could make and take home with them! I share the peppermint coffee sugar scrub they demonstrated for us below!

Now I know that each kid is different, as is each kid’s sleep patterns. And each family is different too. While below is the advice of Dr. Lostetter, I do want to note that we have co-slept with all three of our kids. I feel that having them near me is the safest when they’re infants and my older two have since transitioned to their own beds in their own rooms easily and without issue. But more on that later!

Sleep Tips for Kids

from Dr. Adrienne Lostetter of Children’s Primary Care Medical Group

Infants & Toddlers

Infant sleep cycles may vary until about 6 months of age. Newborns can sleep about 16-17 hours per day but might only sleep in 1 or 2 hour chunks of time. As babies get older, they need less sleep. However, all babies are different – even each of your own kids are different!

The best sleeping surface is a firm mattress without all of those cute bumper pads and comforters. SIDS is a real concern at this age so make sure they are “back to sleep” in a safe crib.

Toddlers need plenty of sleep as well. About 11-12 hours of sleep a day, including naps, will help them grow up healthy. Like teens, children who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight or obese. They also tend to have tired cues and reading these can help prevent bedtime battles.

Preschoolers

Preschoolers need 10-12 hours of sleep a night. Somewhere between ages 3-5, your child will likely stop nap time. This transition can be hard. To make it easier on both parents and kids, move their bedtime earlier slowly over time so they get plenty of sleep. Make sure to establish bedtime routines – kids thrive on routines.

Teens

For adolescents, 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep a night is recommended. Keeping a similar weekday and weekend schedule leads to less fatigue.

Teens who get enough sleep have a reduced risk of being overweight or suffering depression. They are less likely to be involved in automobile accidents and have better grades/higher standardized test scores. Most importantly, they will have an overall better quality of life.

You can find more tips on developing better sleep routines for kids here and a few bedtime tips here.