Why your baby isn’t sleeping through the night yet … and how to teach them

Why Your Baby Isn’t Sleeping Through the Night Yet… and How to Teach Them

A baby’s arrival often means sleep deprivation for the parents during their child’s first five years of life. Between a quarter and a third of parents report sleep problems in children under the age of five. It is one of the most frequent reasons parents consult a pediatrician.

Parents are eager to learn how to regulate their child’s sleep and how sleep affects their development. Social pressure encourages parents to look for answers to the problem of “getting a good night’s sleep” as quickly as possible – or face parental guilt!

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But what does good quality sleep mean for a baby? What are the winning conditions for making the most of the benefits of sleep in a child’s development? And what are the consequences of not getting enough sleep?

The Science of Sleep

Sleep is a pillar of health, just like healthy eating and exercise. A number of areas in a child’s development are linked to sleep, including thinking (cognitive health), interacting with others (social skills), growing (physical health), feeling emotions (mental health) and healing (immune health). Sleep and health work in tandem, while the reverse is also true: being healthy promotes good sleep quality.

Sleep Development is Specific to Each Child

Sleep development is specific to each child, just like learning to walk. Sleep needs vary with age and aren’t the same for everyone. A baby does not have the same needs for naps and night sleep as an adult. We grow at the same speed, on average, but we don’t all develop at exactly the same pace. Like walking, sleep develops at a different pace for each child.

Falling Asleep Alone Becomes Possible with Parental Support

Falling asleep alone becomes possible with parental support if this is carried out one step at a time. There are a myriad of ways to raise children to support their development. The same is true for acquiring sleep autonomy, meaning a child’s ability to fall asleep and return to sleep alone with confidence.

Three Realities About Sleep

1. Sleep is a pillar of health, just like healthy eating and exercise.
2. Sleep development is specific to each child, just like learning to walk.
3. Falling asleep alone becomes possible with parental support if this is carried out one step at a time.

Three Ways to Acquire Sleep Autonomy

1. Behavioural sleep intervention methods discourage parents from intervening when children wake in the night, so that the child can learn to fall asleep on their own.
2. Cognitive-behavioural sleep intervention methods change parents’ expectations, beliefs and perceptions about sleep.
3. Attachment-based methods are those that introduce a transitional object such as a blanket.

No Magic Method… but Winning Conditions

There is no magic method, but parents can develop the winning conditions for sleep autonomy. Parents must make choices based on their child’s needs, which will vary over time, and their family context. Parents must be willing to adapt their methods but also be consistent in their individual interventions.

Conclusion

Helping your child in this learning process is helping them “grow up.” Having realistic parental expectations about sleep is crucial. As a parent, it is important to keep three things in mind: that your child sleeps enough for their stage of development, that your child’s sleep develops at their own pace, which can fluctuate, and that the parent must provide favourable and safe conditions to support their child in gaining sleep autonomy.

FAQs

Q: What are the winning conditions for making the most of the benefits of sleep in a child’s development?
A: The winning conditions include providing a safe and favourable environment, being consistent in your individual interventions, and adapting your methods to your child’s needs.

Q: How can I help my child acquire sleep autonomy?
A: You can help your child acquire sleep autonomy by using behavioural, cognitive-behavioural, or attachment-based sleep intervention methods.

Q: Why is it important to have realistic parental expectations about sleep?
A: It is important to have realistic parental expectations about sleep because sleep development is specific to each child, and every child develops at their own pace.

Q: What are the consequences of not getting enough sleep?
A: The consequences of not getting enough sleep include negative effects on a child’s cognitive, social, physical, emotional, and immune health.