We’ve looked at the wide range of normal amount of sleep children need, and even paired down to a fairly broad average number of hours. Now the big question: where does your child fit in? How much is really enough for them? My answer is always -watch your child! How do they get through the day? There are some pretty telling signs that show your little one may not be getting enough quality sleep. Take a look…
Infants:
- More night wakings than is age appropriate
- Very early morning wake-ups
- Trouble falling asleep or very short naps
- Excessive fussiness
- Poor feedings on a regular basis
- A sense they are constantly overstimulated
- Inflexibility
Toddlers and Preschoolers:
- Trouble waking up
- Moody or irritable behavior
- Over-emotional
- Poor motor skills
- Falling asleep during short car rides
- Overly agressive behavior
- Night and/or early morning wakings
- Trouble falling asleep
- Afternoon or dinner-time tantrums
- Nap Strikes
- Separation anxiety
Older Children and Teens:
- Trouble waking up, or multiple wakes needed
- Moody or irrational behavior
- Overemotional
- ADD / ADHD Diagnosis
- Poor concentration
- Poor motivation
- Late day low energy, followed by excessive energy
- Insomnia
- Uses food/beverages for stimulation
- Falling asleep at inappropriate times
- Anxiety
If you see several of these traits in your child, it may be time to re-evaluate their sleep needs. Is bedtime too late, are more or longer naps needed, is something getting in the way of good, solid sleep? If you can’t seem to figure out why, don’t worry! Being in the middle of a problem limits your view of it! I’m here to help! If you see that there isn’t enough sleep going on in your house and need some advice to get things back on track for your child, please reach out! I’d love to make a difference for your family.