For babies and infants, sleep is every bit an essential element and is as vital as nutrients and exercise. Parents everywhere will agree that well-slept babies and infants have better moods, throw less tantrums and are generally more pleasant to be around. However, sleep is so much more than a mood regulator. Sleep promotes brain health, physical health and contributes much to learning and behaviour. Additionally, well-sleep babies lead to well-slept parents, eventually fostering healthy parent-child relationships and balanced family dynamics. Read on to learn more specific reasons as to why you shouldn’t always wake up a sleeping child:
1. Sleep promotes growth
The growth hormone is secreted when babies are asleep. Multiple studies exist that prove that babies who sleep sufficiently grow better than those who suffer from irregular and chronically-low hours of sleep. Have you ever woken up and realised how big your baby looked that morning? You’re not delusional – your baby might have grown overnight! Pro-tip – don’t forget to swaddle your babies to sleep – read more about swaddling here: The Incredible Benefits of Swaddling Your Baby for Restful Sleep and Comfort
2. Sleep affects attention span
Finding that your kids have a low attention span, lack focus, appear hyper and are constantly throwing things around? Before assuming they have ADHD or any other mentally-related conditions, try and reflect on their sleep quality. It is known that babies who sleep 10 hours or more a night have less tendency to be impulsive and distracted. Characteristics of multiple mental conditions and lack of sleep mirror each other – so don’t rush to get your children diagnosed immediately. Repair their sleep habits and take it from there. It also helps to learn about baby milestones to know what to expect and changes to learn with each phase. More about milestones here: Baby Development Stages: 4 Wonders at Every Milestone
3. Good for the heart
When babies lack sleep, they experience a form of brain arousal which triggers elevated blood glucose and cortisol levels. These in turn, affect higher levels of diabetes, obesity and even heart diseases. If you’re wondering why your baby’s height and weight fall below average on recommended growth rates, you might want to reflect on their sleep quality and quantity.
4. Reduces risk of injury
When well-slept, kids are less impulsive as stated above, and therefore are less prone to injuries. Multiple studies state that sleep-deprived children tend to be more clumsy and jumpy, leading them to need medical intervention. Specifically on injuries, you can also reduce risk of injury while babies are asleep with C-PRO Baby’s breathable mattress to eliminate the possibility of SIDS and bed bugs.
5. Keeps them healthy
Sleeping babies produce proteins called cytokines, which helps the body fight illnesses and infections. Too little sleep affects the number of cytokines found in the body, leading babies to be more vulnerable to colds, flus, coughs and other viruses. When babies sleep sufficiently, they can still fall sick, but have better ability to fight off these harmful substances in their tiny bodies.
With the vast and wonderful reasons why your baby deserves to enjoy sleep, it becomes a huge responsibility for parents to promote a healthy and clean environment that supports sleep. A few simple tips to follow are to maintain a dark, cool room, as well as building a bedtime routine that induces calmness. Remember to invest in few but powerful sleep-supporting tools such as comfortable bedding sets, darkening curtains, a white noise machine and a cooling agent such as a fan or air conditioner. Check out C-PRO Baby’s breathable mattress to get started on your baby’s sleep-living journey!
