Need for routines and sleep
To grow effectively, the child needs to also sleep, so developing good sleep routines is particularly important for the young child. It is when the child is asleep that some of the body’s hormones, such as growth hormone are mainly secreted. A lack of adequate sleep can affect the child’s growth as well as affect the child’s ability to be focussed during the day.
Most children between 2 and 5 years old will be awake for the majority of the day although some will still have a nap in the late morning or early afternoon. Being asleep reduces the stimuli from the environment being sent to the child’s brain. Darkness or a lack of light is very important and supports the production of melatonin which helps to induce and maintain sleep.
Be aware
Some children develop night terrors. These can be extremely distressing for both the child and the parents resulting in an agitated and very distressed child who is inconsolable. The reason for this is not always known, but could be in relation to the child feeling insecure emotionally.
Children will usually grow out of these, but some children who have night terrors go on to have nightmares.
