Is Sleep As Important As Nutrition?
I’m sure you can guess what my answer is to this question, since I’m a pediatric sleep consultant. I do tend to put a high priority on sleep and am, in my humble opinion, justifiably passionate about its benefits for babies.
But is my passion for sleep clouding my judgement, or is there evidence to support my position? Oh, I am SO glad you asked.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a firm believer that feeding our kids a healthy, balanced diet is essential to their well-being. I might even agree that it’s the single most important factor when it comes to our children’s health.
But sleep is, if not equally as important, a very big contender.
Kids who struggle with their weight tend to grow into adults who continue to struggle with their weight. But what does sleep have to do with any of that? Again, I’m glad you asked.
A 2008 study by the National Institute of Health looked at the average number of daily hours of sleep that kids between 6 months and two years old were getting, and then compared those results with their occurrences of what’s considered to be an unhealthy weight range. The children who got an average of less than 12 hours of sleep a day were over twice as likely to be have weight issues than those who slept for 12 or more. A much larger study done in the UK showed similar results.
With all of the health issues, as well as the general quality of life concerns that come along with carrying extra pounds, it seems to me that sleep should be a major concern for us as parents.
Every day I hear people advising new parents with what I’m sure is meant to be reassuring advice but I find it really upsetting.
“Babies sleep when they want to sleep. Don’t force it.”
“Not sleeping is totally normal for a baby.”
“Just follow your baby’s lead. They know how much sleep they need.”
Can you imagine this same kind of talk if it was concerning a baby’s diet?
“Babies know what’s healthy to eat. Just follow their lead.”
“Eating chocolate is totally normal for babies.”
“Kids will eat when they’re ready. You shouldn’t bother with set mealtimes.”
If you heard those words coming out of anybody’s mouth, your eyes would roll to the back of your head and you certainly wouldn’t listen to any advice they had to give you on your kids.
As parents, we all obviously want our kids to live healthy, active lives, and we want to give them every advantage to ensure they get a good start. Making sure they get enough sleep, and teaching them solid sleep skills, will go a long way to promoting their overall health down the road.
