Benefits of an earlier bedtime

Let’s talk about the benefits of an earlier bedtime because yes, there quite a few and worth going over. But before we get into it I do want to mention that yes, sometimes you will come across a child who is a true night owl and can wake up very late in the morning, but more often than not, babies and young children tend to wake on the earlier side. 

Why is that?

A child's circadian rhythm naturally wakes them as early as 6- 7:30 a.m. and are naturally sleepy between 6:30 and 7:30 pm. A later bedtime does not necessarily mean they will sleep more, if anything they will likely wake up early anyway…So you see how pushing for a very late bedtime may not be worth it.

Benefits of an earlier bedtime:

1. Prevents over tiredness in your baby.
   Simple enough, right? Ensuring an earlier bedtime for your baby also ensures that your child is making it into bed before they become overtired. Babies tend to get overtired very quickly as the evening wears on and if they pass the point of no return, it can mean very choppy sleep for your little. And the less overtired they are the quicker they fall asleep, so you see how going to bed earlier is beneficiak
   

2. Promotes longer stretches of sleep at night.
   The later they go to sleep the shorter their first stretch of sleep will be. The longest stretch of sleep they get is usually at the beginning of the night and the later they go to bed, the shorter that sleep, which could disrupt their night and make them cranky the next day, which brings me to my next reason.
   

3. Restorative, quality, deep sleep happens before midnight.
   We want to encourage this sleep as much as possible and that’s why going to bed before this timeframe is so important. Their deepest sleep, also their longest sleep as mentioned above is the most restorative sleep. This deep sleep is referred to as NREM (non rem) sleep and this sleep is essential for:
   
   Tissue growth/repair
   Blood supply to the muscles increases
   Essential hormones are released for bone/muscle growth

   Heart rate drops, muscles relax, and breathing slows.
   And much more…
   

4. Gives your little one the opportunity to meet their required sleep needs
   The earlier they go to sleep, the better chance they have at cashing in on all of those sleep requirements, especially as their naps fluctuate as they get older and they nap less during the day. You want to make sure they are really sleeping well at night, especially as their daytime sleep decreases.
   

5. Sleep Promotes Growth
   According to the Director of Sleep Medicine at the Children’s National Medical Center, Judith Owens, M.D., “Growth hormone is primarily secreted during deep sleep.” Infants spend about half of their time in this deep sleep which happens primarily in the first half of the night and children who go to sleep between this timeframe sleep better than children who don’t.
   

6. Creates healthy sleep habits for the future
   Getting your child used to a predictable and ideal schedule for his age is the best way to promote healthy sleep habits down the line. Creating a routine where your child gets to bed on time and meets their daily sleep requirements will set them up for great sleep in the future, whereas kids who have a chronically late bedtime and zero schedule or routine often have very disrupted sleep and have difficulty settling to sleep in general. Those kids are constantly missing out on essentia benefits that children need in order to function and grow properly.

So the bottom line is to aim for a realistic bedtime and wake time and meet your child where they are at, not where you want them to be.

I hope you found this helpful!

If you have questions and concerns about your child’s sleep, feel free to send me a message or book a free discovery call so that I can answer all of your questions.