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Sleep and Child's Health

As a professional, you know that sleep affects almost every aspect of a child’s health: how they perform daily functions like eating, playing, filling diapers and their mood. Approximately one in four children experience some type of sleep problem, so it’s not surprising that inadequate sleep is one of the most common concerns raised by parents to their pediatricians. Not to mention that when a child isn’t sleeping, the parent isn’t either, which adds to the stress. 

As a Healthcare Provider, you may give advice to concerned parents about feeding, development, safety and behavioral issues at each checkup. But, what advice do you give sleep-deprived parents about sleep? What resources do you give them to help? How do you help mothers who may be at risk for postpartum depression? As a LCSW-C, I fully understand these parental concerns. My goal is to offer a wide range of resources for families who are looking for information or additional help with their baby, toddler or child’s sleep. I hope to serve as a resource to you by providing gentle and achievable sleep solutions while emphasizing child safety guidelines and safe sleeping practices recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Part of my mission as The Sleep Lady is to serve a diverse population, so many of our resources have also been translated into Spanish.

Baby Sleep Facts

Current research and studies suggest:

- Baby sleep problems are prevalent, and can be persistent without treatment (K.C. Byars, et.al., 2012; Kerr & Jowett, 2006)
- Parents often feel desperate and in need of support (Cooklin, Giallo, & Rose, 2011)
- Bed sharing is on the rise, and one out of four parents report sleeping with their infants in dangerous sleep locations (Kendall-Tackett, Cong & Hale, 2010)
- Children who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or are not getting enough sleep are more likely later in life to suffer from ADHD, depression, anxiety, and alcohol or drug abuse than kids without sleep problems. (F.V., O’Callaghan, et.al., 2010; S., Bhargava, 2011 )

There are many relatively simple things parents can do to help promote healthy sleep habits for the whole family. My method addresses the most common sleep issues in a gentle, step-by-step method that is attachment friendly and does not leave a child to cry it out. My hope is to have resources available on my website that will help families avoid and possibly fix many of the common sleep-related problems.

Resources for Your Patients

My goal is to make it possible for children and families to get the sleep they need using a gentle and proven method. Sleep is so important to an entire family’s health and well-being. It is my hope that I can provide Health Care Providers with baby, toddler and child sleep resources, so you can help parents and families in your practice.

Below are a variety of reader-friendly resources for you to share with your patients, FREE of charge. All of these resources are in alignment with the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Privacy Policy

We have made a committed effort to align our privacy policy with the most current laws and regulations. Click here to read my full privacy policy.

Baby Sleep Safety

I am dedicated to helping parents and families understand the importance of safe sleep practices and guidelines. As part of my mission, I only promote the most current resources and research related to safe sleeping practices.

- American Academy of Pediatrics Parents Guide to Safe Sleep
- American Academy of Pediatrics Child Care Providers Guide to Safe Sleep

FREE Resources and Tools for Your Practice

Below, you will find handouts (in both English and Spanish) that you may print out to share with parents and families needing sleep help. These resources are FREE of charge.

Resources By Age:

Issues Faced By Parents: