Sleep Problems and ADHD

Here is an interesting read about ADHD and sleep deprivation in children. It speaks on other things as well, but we can't ignore the benefits of making children learn to sleep through the night at a young age. There is a reason it was common years ago to teach a child that had doubled its birth weight to sleep all through night. Of course when breastfeeding, nighttime weaning coincides with when the baby no longer needs nighttime nutrition.

A solid routine of no TV and dim lights in the room where baby will sleep is a very good practice to help bring about a consistent bedtime. Parents need to learn the different cries of their children, and learn the cues of sleepiness. Too often parents who are ignorant of these things end up training their children to actually stay awake beyond their natural readiness for bed. The TV was scarce when my kids were growing up for intellectual reasons, but even if you don't worry about that, it doesn't help nap time or bedtime since it can be a stimulant, especially as children go from newborn to the older baby stage.

Any decent book on sleep and children, written from a medical perspective, will go over how much sleep children need. There is nothing wrong with watching your baby's cues and trying different things. For example, after the nighttime feeding and burping, lay them in the crib and tell them it is time to go to sleep--long before they understand the meaning of the words, they will start to understand what is expected. Give them 10-15 minutes to settle in-pat their back or bum and talk soothingly to them. We used to gently rub our child's face from her forehead down over her nose and that really comforted her. Babies fuss when they are tired, they fuss sometimes because they don't want to be held. Helping them go to sleep is a parent's job, and it takes work and patience, and of course, sacrifice of being alone in a quiet room, night after night, as baby learns it is bedtime. Again, watching cues and learning them is essential. There is a certain amount of sleep needed, so just keep sitting by the crib or going back in the room during the period of settling in, but make sure your child is getting the proper sleep for each stage of development.

http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-problems/adhd-and-sleep