If you have not already done so, please read Blog Posts 1 through 5 that describe how sleep is important and beneficial. I will post specific information for parents and children based on my book, “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.” Please do not be put off by my book’s length. This is a reference book. Read only the topic of interest to you.
Drowsy versus Fatigue Signs
To recognize and appreciate drowsy signs and understand how they are different from fatigue signs (pre-sleep arousal), look at Blog Posts 83, 115X, 226C, and 232AX.
Does ‘Drowsy but Awake work? NO?
Some parents confuse drowsy signs with fatigue signs (pre-sleep arousal) and thus incorrectly claim that that ‘Drowsy But Awake’ does not work. When this confusion occurs, the child becomes hyper from pre-sleep arousal and requires parent-soothing to fall asleep.
Parent-soothing
Putting your child down to sleep in a deep sleep state at naptime and bedtime deprives your child of the opportunity to learn self-soothing skills. Your child becomes dependent on parent-soothing and does not learn self-soothing. Thus, in the middle of the night when normal arousals occur, your child is unable to return to sleep without parents’ assistance. The fragmented night sleep for your child causes other sleep problems such as early morning wake times and/or disrupted naps and daytime drowsiness. Also, disturbed sleep is associated with obesity (Blog Posts 81, 232A, and 232B) in children. Late bedtimes are common when fatigue signs (pre-sleep arousal) begin to appear. It is now hard for your child to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Parents are stressed by the night-waking in their child.
Does ‘Drowsy but Awake’ work? YES!
Blog Post 145 describes a 2022 study that proves that putting children to bed ‘Drowsy But Awake’ works. It produces fewer night wakings and more consolidated sleep for children and parents.
Also, a 2025 study showed that when parents put their child to bed ‘Drowsy But Awake’, their 6 months old children had fewer night wakings, earlier bedtimes, and were at a lower risk for obesity.
Self-soothing.
Putting your child down to sleep drowsy but awake at naptime and bedtime gives your child the opportunity to learn self-soothing skills so that in the middle of the night when normal arousals occur, your child is able to return to sleep unassisted. The younger your child is when you begin this practice, the easier it is for your child to learn self-soothing. Your child will have fewer and shorter wake periods at night; that is, more consolidated night sleep. Early bedtimes are common when drowsy signs begin to appear. It is now easy for your child to learn self-soothing and to easily fall asleep and stay asleep.
Parents now enjoy more uninterrupted sleep at night.
Early Bedtimes Help
When parents successfully practice ‘Drowsy But Awake’ the bedtimes tend to be a bit earlier causing longer durations of night sleep. This causes your child to wake up better rested and you are more able to see drowsy signs before nap times. Then, using these drowsy signs, naps are easier to get and tend to be longer. The longer naps make drowsy signs in the evening easier to spot so the bedtimes are easier. This is what is behind the phrase ‘Sleep Begets Sleep’.
