Early Childhood Pro Aspects of Sleep

What do you need to know about sleep as an early childhood professional?

Americans typically don't get enough sleep and it matters to our health, safety and well-being.

At Early Childhood Rocks, we believe that ECE professionals need to stand up for better sleep and better mental health.

Dr. Stephen Sheldon, a pediatrician at Northwestern University and director of the Sleep Medicine Center At Children's Hospital in Chicago notes "tired children have difficulty regulating their behavior. One theory is that the brain and muscles in children are not synchronized and don't tire simultaneously. Instead, the brain gets tired fit and loses control of the muscles, meaning drowsy kids may start running around chaotically."

Here's what sleep expert and author Mary Sheedy-Kurcinka has to say.

It's hard to imagine that the wild child is actually tired. The clue is the "frenzy" of activity. The high-energy child is on the move throughout the day, but her movements are smooth and well coordinated. Fatigue alters this fluidity. Actions become jerky, tight, and frenzied. Unexpectedly she trips and falls. Research has shown that preschoolers who sleep less than ten hours a day are 86 percent more likely to incur injuries requiring emergency room treatments.

The truth is that both school performance and behavior deteriorate consistently with the lack of sleep that is common in our society. If you want to read the book by Ms. Kurcinka, you can find it in libraries or you can click on the book to go to Amazon.

This chart from The American Academy of Sleep Medicine can help you with solid information you can refer to when speaking with colleagues and parents.

When I talk to people about sleep, many have the same issue. They assert that the sleep chart may be well and good for most people, but either themselves, their children or both must be an exception.

In most cases this is nothing more than wishful thinking. Although there are exceptions to the amount of sleep needed, they are extremely rare and those who claim to be an exception are usually chronically sleep-deprived.

Nanci J Bradley is an early childhood and family educator, author, teacher, family aerobics instructor, and an all-around fun-loving person. She believes in the power of sleep, healthy eating, lifelong learning, and most of all, PLAY! She studied early childhood ed at Triton College and received her BS in education in 1986 from NIU. She received her MA in human dev from Pacific Oaks College in 2011. She lives and teaches in Madison WI and is the founder of early childhood rocks, a non-profit org dedicated to creating change through early childhood education.