The idea of putting babies and children to bed later with the intention that they wake up later the next morning represents one of the most common myths when it comes to children's sleep.
There are parents who, for example, use this system on weekends, with the aim of being able to sleep a little more on those rest days.
But it is more than likely that they have already verified that it does not work, something that has to do with the circadian rhythm of the little ones.
“We have an internal clockwork that sets our own pace, also taking into account the environment in which we live.
Changes in these schedules, both when starting to sleep and when waking up, usually take time to stabilize.
If we put a child to bed later, they will most likely get up at the same time as always, and we will only make them tired during the day,” says Elena Martínez Cayuelas, a neuropediatrician at the Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, in Madrid.
That is why it is not a good idea to put this system into practice, which causes more prejudice to the child than benefits to their parents.
“When we constantly delay their bedtime, what actually happens is that that little one is losing hours of sleep that are very valuable for their development and that they will go to sleep excessively tired,” explains Amelia Hunter, a sleep consultant. children and founder of Baby Sleep Solutions, which since 2015 has been accompanying families in the process of improving their little ones' sleep hygiene by establishing healthy habits.
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This excess tiredness due to delaying sleep time will be noticeable in the child's attitude before going to bed, but also during the night and the next day.
“The child will be more irritable and restless, and will have more problems falling asleep and relaxing,” says pediatrician Teresa de la Calle Cabrera, coordinator of the Sleep Group of the Spanish Society of Out-of-hospital Pediatrics and Primary Care (SEPEAP).
“Throughout the night, sleep will be deeper than usual, which can cause associated alterations such as an increased probability of sleep terrors or sleepwalking,” De la Calle continues.
And in the morning, the pediatrician explains that the child will probably wake up at his usual time and spend the entire day with sleep deficit: "Which can translate into him being restless or restless."
Despite all this, Hunter understands that there may be exceptions: “If a child occasionally goes to sleep later or does not take a nap, it will generally have little impact on their rest.
Of course, it is important to keep in mind that it will affect less those who have a good quality of rest and well-established and consolidated sleep hygiene.”
“We often see it,” he continues, “those who do not rest well are much more affected by these changes in routines when they go on vacation, for example.”
This is why it is not advisable to make major schedule changes on weekends.
“In any case, they should not be more than one or two hours apart from weekdays.
Doing so will only result in them not getting enough sleep and not having time for their body to get used to the schedule again for Monday,” suggests Martínez Cayuelas.
“The circadian rhythm does not understand days.
Obviously, the smaller the time difference I want to impose on the child, the fewer problems there will be.
And, on the other hand, each person and each child has a different susceptibility to schedule changes,” adds De la Calle.
Although each family and each child has its own particularities, “it is important and highly recommended to maintain an early bedtime, between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.,” says De la Calle.
This expert adds that external conditions must also be taken into account, including light, feeding schedules and relaxing routines that should be carried out every night.
“These routines help the little ones' bodies anticipate what is going to happen and prepare them for sleep.
Exposure to light and the type of activity carried out during the two hours before going to sleep are also important: in the late afternoon the light should be dim, warm, avoiding exposure to screens, and with quiet activities that help stop the activity,” explains Martínez Cayuelas.
And she recommends that this pre-sleep routine include a moment of family bonding with a story, a massage, or some extra pampering.
A nap is necessary until 3-5 years of age and not taking it can cause the child to become much more irritable at night.
Mladen Zivkovic (Getty Images)
What if I take away his nap to improve nighttime sleep?
Martínez Cayuelas explains that removing the nap early, or on a sporadic day because it benefits the parents, is not a good idea either: “This rest time is necessary until the age of 3-5 years and not doing it can cause the child to be too late. more irritable at night or even the appearance of so-called parasomnias (night terrors, confessional awakenings, sleepwalking...) is enhanced.”
For this reason, as he explains, it is recommended that the nap also occur at a regular time, generally between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. and always before five in the afternoon so as not to interfere with nighttime sleep.
Another consequence of not taking a nap, according to De la Calle, is that children can later fall asleep in any situation that arises at too late an hour, taking advantage of a trip in the stroller or in the car, which It's going to interfere even more with your night's sleep.
For Martínez Cayuelas, parents underestimate the importance of routines and the stability of schedules.
Among the consequences of sleeping less that arise in childhood, the expert points out academics: “Their performance drops, their attention span also drops;
Plus, they are sleepy during the day.”
“Rest has a direct impact on vocabulary acquisition, learning, memory and cognitive performance,” says Hunter.
Added to all of these is that sleeping poorly in childhood can have a clear influence on the quality of sleep during adulthood.
This is how Hunter explains it: “Scientific evidence from recent years is reporting that children with insomnia have a greater risk of suffering from sleep problems in adulthood.
A 2022 study, titled
"Children with insomnia are at increased risk of sleep problems in adulthood
,
reveals that the persistence of insomnia symptoms is greater than previously believed and underlines the importance of early interventions to address sleep problems."
This is how you get a good child's sleep
How do you get a good child's sleep?
“A child's sleep schedule should be as regular as possible,” says pediatrician Teresa de la Calle Cabrera.
To which Amelia Hunter, a children's sleep consultant, adds that bedtime should be before nine at night.
“The room during sleep should be kept comfortable, with adequate temperature, quiet and dark (or with as little orange light as possible, if the child is afraid of the dark),” recommends De la Calle.
“Establish a pleasant pre-sleep routine, which may include a story in order to help the child deactivate and initiate nighttime sleep in a pleasant way,” says De la Calle.
“The child should not be exposed to screens at least two hours before the start of sleep,” advises the pediatrician, for whom the blue light from screens interferes with the secretion of melatonin, which is the main hormone that governs sleep rhythm. circadian.
Regarding physical exercise, De la Calle affirms that it is positive for sleep, but the child should not do intense exercise or highly stimulating activities in the two hours before going to bed.
In fact, neuropediatrician Elena Martínez Cayuelas recommends that there be dim light during those last two hours.
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