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.
Young children who have healthy sleep tend to seek healthy sleep as teens and adults (Blog Posts starting at 242 and 243 because they remember how good it feels to be well-rested. I asked some former patients whether there were carry-over effects for their own children, the next generation.
Q: “Your parents received advice from me regarding sleep beginning when you were a baby and my question is whether or not you are more attentive to or more successful than your peers regarding healthy sleep in your own child or children. In other words, do you think that my attempts to educate your parents about your sleep when you were growing up might have any carry-over effect on the next generation, your own child or children?”
Stella
“My parents followed your regime religiously. To them, sleep was the most important thing they could teach us. They hung on to every word of advice you gave them. It was strict and very difficult for them but in doing so, my brother and I are both great sleepers. We each get a solid 8-10 hours per night. I’m 32 and sleep has never been an issue. In terms of raising my child, that’s the reason that I went to Dr. Dan, because of the teachings we had as kids. I have followed Dr. Dan’s advice from day 1. In doing so, my son John, has been sleeping through the night since he was 10 weeks. It’s difficult to follow, in terms of having your child cry it out, but we are in total agreement that self-soothing will make a happy child turn into a happy adult.:
I am 32 years old.
How old was John when you began to think about helping him sleep well? “Since he was born I started thinking about it.”
My mother was very strict about bedtime and going to sleep. Even when I had friends sleep over as a young child, my mother was very strict about us going to bed not too late.
My husband follows my lead when it comes to John’s sleep since he knows that I am such a great sleeper, a better sleeper than him.
Everyone in our life was very supportive of our approach to John’s sleep.
I make it a priority to get good sleep. I make sure not to stay up too late and if I don’t get a good nights sleep from being up with the baby I try to squeeze in a nap time or make sure to go to bed early the next night so that I feel good and healthy.
I work at home.
