How Sleep Works and Evolves in the Lives of Children

What Every Parent Needs to Know

When it comes to kids, change is the name of the game. Relentless growth and continuous transformation are all part of the magic essence of childhood. Kids take for granted a life of non-stop mental and physical development, adding fractions of an inch to their growing bodies every day, while forming their young minds through exploration, learning and curiosity. Growth happens, and parents look on in semi-bafflement as their kids mature before them in awkward fits and starts, passing through a series of inscrutable “phases”, outgrowing notions and interests as fast as they outgrow clothes. Each day of a child’s life is another step down a road that stretches far off beyond the horizon, mysteriously and inexorably, towards adulthood.

As kids grow and mature, the nature of their sleep changes too. Each stage of childhood — from infancy through adolescence — brings with it a distinct set of sleep characteristics, needs, and challenges. Sleep plays an absolutely crucial role in these early years as kids literally build themselves from the ground up. In this sense, kids’ sleep can be considered radically different from that of adults. They need more of it than we do and they need it (as many scientists believe) for very different reasons.

We’ve talked at length on this site about the vital benefits of sleep, mainly as it has to do with grownups. But we want to underscore here that good sleep is never more essential in life than during childhood and adolescence. Current scientific research points to sleep as a key ingredient in the process of physical growth, the maintenance of health, learning and memory, as well as self-esteem and behavior. Parents who can inspire their kids to get plenty of sleep and teach them good lifetime sleep habits will be making a powerful investment in their child’s welfare.

How do you do this? The best place to start is with a good fundamental understanding of how sleep works and evolves in kids. The main thing is to be aware of your child’s ever-changing sleep needs and the obstacles they’ll likely face at each turn — in other words, stay ahead of the curve.

It’s especially important for kids to understand for themselves the nature of sleep, how it benefits them, and why it’s so important. Let’s face it: kids don’t always do exactly what their parents tell them to do. And sometimes they’re overtaken by a fiendish urge to break the rules just for the hell of it. (Remember?) But when kids have a knowledge and a grounding in something — when they understand and feel the rightness of it in their core, they’re much more likely to make good decisions, even on their own.

Kids need someone to guide them on their journey through life as they grow up — not just to watch over them and keep them safe, but to point the way forward and show them how it’s done. There’s no job on earth more important, demanding, or rewarding than being a parent — except maybe being a kid. You can give your kids a giant head start in life by showing them how to get the quality and quantity of sleep they need so they can be the best and happiest they can be.