Hi!
My name is Leanne and I am a wife, teacher, mom, director of a preschool, student, chauffeur, referee, personal chef, maid, waitress...the list goes on. My children are the boss of me. My daughter is 6 and is going on 16 years old. Her world was turned upside down this year when school was cancelled for the remainder of the year and I had to become her teacher. My son will be 2 in August. He is the most rambunctious child I have ever met! And I have met a lot toddlers in my time in early childhood education. I have 15 years experience in this field. And I love it! Young children amaze me. They are sponges. They absorb EVERYTHING you feed, (or don't feed for that matter) to them.
You might be wondering why I chose this name for my blog. Frankly, it's pretty clear. Everybody should nap. It's that simple. Babies, toddlers, elementary aged children, teenagers, college students, MOMS, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, dogs, cats. Naps are important! If you are falling asleep, it means your body needed the rest. This is a big philosophy of mine as an early childhood educator. I never understand parents that don't want their young children to nap during the day. I realize, yes, it does make life easier in the evening (I'm a mom, I get it!) but if a child is sleeping hard, like 2 + hours, their little body needed the down time.
Sleep rules us. If we don't get it, we can't be productive while at work (in the office, or at home). If you are rested, it gives you a new outlook on life. Well rested? You see the world clearly. Exhausted and lacking sleep? You see the world with glasses on that are too strong for your eyes. You'll have a headache. Your eyes will hurt. You might feel completely displaced. Now, imagine a 3 year old walking around sleep deprived. Maybe they are having night terrors. Maybe they tried to wait up to say good night to one of their parents who worked late. Maybe their older sibling had their music too loud and they just couldn't fall asleep. Maybe they were hungry. Maybe their home life is less than ideal. Their behavior is going to be different than the child who got 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
The child not sleeping is going to be whiny, disruptive and misbehaved. They NEED the nap during quiet time at their school. It's imperative to their health. So, please. Let those babies sleep, no matter how old they are. Everybody should nap.
What a directive, yes 'everybody should nap" all but my Mom, she gets up crabby after a nap. Quiet time is a very important part for mental wellness and a willing body. "The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that 10% of children in the United States have a sleep issue. The percentage rises to 50% to 75% in children with mental health and neurologic/developmental disorders" (as cited in Gerber,2014). Like wise, adults are also vulnerable for many of the same effects that derive from sleep deprivation. The Center for Disease Control recognized sleep, or rather lack of sleep as a public health epidemic( http://cdc.gov/Features/dsSleep).
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Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d). Insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic. http://cdc.gov/Features/dsSleep.
Gerber, L. (2014,August)Sleep deprivation in children: A Growing Public Health Concern. Nursing Management (Springhouse). Volume 45 (8). pp22-28. Retrieved fromhttps://journals.lww.com/nursingmanagement/Fulltext/2014/08000/Sleep_deprivation_in_children__A_growing_public.5.aspx#O3-5-3
Hello Leanne,
ReplyDeleteI love the your site name, and you are so right we all need a certain amount of rest that are bodies require to function. Some need more some need less. My husband is retired and he naps everyday, complains when he misses it. On the other hand I am a high functioning person and I only need 4-5 hours of rest and then I'm good to go again.
I admire your many occupations I use to have almost as many, but my girls are adults now with their own children, so my husband and I focus on each other.
Your story reminds me so much of a child I shall always remember. Much like "D" my child's had social and emotional incidents everyday, and just like you I tried to console him the best I could but everyday at the same time he would flare up. My observations and documentations lead to helping curve the problem. He was hungry. He was diagnosed with ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), so I kept gram crackers, apples, Cherrios and other snacks to give him and the other children when I noticed his mood began to change. I think we all have been faced with helping a child with challenging behaviors.
After reading your post I felt like I had known you for years. I love the idea that everyone should nap. My 11 year old son has decided that he will sleep from 8am-6pm. That works great for getting my school work done, but I never see him. Yesterday he woke up at 3pm and we actually spent time together. Now it is 2pm and he is still awake. (It might have something to do with the new big screen TV we just got.) I relate to you on so many levels and I look forward to getting to know you better.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your messages and resources about the early childhood field. The ideas and suggestions of innovative, thinking people are always welcome. I hope to continue to learn more from you.
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