The Importance Of Sleep

You can probably FEEL the importance of sleep if you are reading this website! In a way it would be wonderful to need less sleep, to get more things done in our day. But the simple fact is that we all need our sleep to function healthily - sleep is a necessity not a luxury.

Tiredness drains you and the lack of energy stops you doing what you want to do and being as you want to be. Sleep deprivation effects you and your toddler, and this double whammy can make life very difficult.

The Importance of Sleep For Your Toddler
One of the most important benefits of sleep for your child is that he will be alert and so receptive to his environment. He will have a longer attention span and will learn more easily. By having a longer attention span your child will be able to be calm and interested in what is going on around him.

Sleep studies have shown that:

• children who sleep more have higher IQs
• for hyperactive children, more sleep dramatically improves peer relations and classroom performance
• healthy sleep has a positive affect on neurological development and prevents learning and and behavioural problems
• children who sleep during the day having longer attention spans
• children who sleep more are more sociable

Tiredness will make your toddler:

• less mentally alert
• easily distracted
• loose concentration quickly
• hyperactive or inactive

Over-tiredness is common in young children. If your child is excited and wants to fight the tiredness to stay up and be part of the fun, his body will secrete hormones such as adrenaline which will cause him to be extra alert. He will seem wide-awake but soon will be hyperactive, irritable and grumpy because he is overtired and will not be able to fall asleep easily. He needs to go to bed.

The Importance of Sleep for YOU
According to the National Sleep Foundation 40% of adults experience sleepiness during the day enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days a month. This could include:

• poor concentration
• slow reactions
• difficulty in learning new tasks
• poor memory
• low mood: depressed, tearful, short tempered
• lower productivity
• increased risk of falls and accidents
• over the long term, sleep deprivation is linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease

According to a report from the Sleep Alliance (2004) more than 300 people die from traffic accidents each year in the UK as a direct result of sleepiness - this is a higher number than than fatal accidents caused by drink driving. In the US according to the Highway Safety Administration, falling asleep whilst driving causes 100,000 crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths each year.

Benefits of sleep:
Although relatively little is known about sleep, it is thought that during sleep:

• memories are organzied and stored
• sleep, espcecially REM sleep, regulates mood
• the immune system is boosted
• neurons are repaired
• hormones are released e.g. growth hormones for growth and muscle repair

Sleep is so important for you and your toddler. We aim to give you lots of tips and ideas to help your toddler and you sleep better and so have a happy bed time - and day time too!