The Sleep Expert is Costing Me More Money

We always have the best speakers at MOPS. I did this long post last year about tips I gleaned from the professional organizer. Today we heard from a nurse at the Sleep Medicine and Research Center who specializes in children's sleep issues. I found out a lot of things that I've done or am still doing wrong. Thankfully I have generally good sleepers. But here are some things that she said that go against "conventional wisdom" (ie. the way I've been doing it).

1. Soon after their third birthday, many children begin the process of gradually eliminating daytime naps. It is gradual, though, so skipping a nap and functioning well does not mean the child is ready to eliminate naps completely yet.

2. Keeping a child up later at night will not encourage them to sleep later, especially if they have established a strong circadian rhythm. It will just mean that they need a longer nap or will need to go to bed earlier the next night.

3. What I have called sleep terrors is probably actually "confusional arousal," which sometimes happens in children 6 months to 6 years when they have had inadequate sleep. This is where they are thrashing around, back arching, crying, but they remain asleep. It usually only lasts a few minutes. It's called sleep terrors in older children. You should not try to wake the child because it can prolong the process.

4. They do not suggest transitioning a child from a crib to a bed until the child is at least 26 months old and is already sleeping well at night and for naps. (We haven't done this yet because we've had another one on the way each time. She says to keep the infant in a bassinet and a pack 'n play until the crib is available if you don't want to buy another crib.)

5. We've been taking Big Sissy potty at night before we go to bed. Sometimes she still has accidents, so lately Hubby's been taking her early in the morning too. She says this is disruptive to sleep and does not teach them anything. She suggests we leave her in a Pull-Up until she's dry for 3 weeks straight. Ugh. I am not sure about this. I REALLY don't want to have to keep buying Pull-Ups, and she seems to be well-rested in the mornings. I'm going to have to think about this one.

I am so thankful to have relatively good sleepers, but this woman is a great resource if you have problems with your child. They have brochures on everything sleep-related under the sun, too, so even if you are not local you could contact them for information. Speaking of sleep, I'm going to go try it.