#45 - Sleep and Kids Pt.3
The Matt Walker Podcast
How to Find a Bedtime That Works for Your Child
When parents have bedtime struggles in this age group, there's a huge range developmentally. One of the important things to recognize is if they're in what's called a circadian forbidden zone. You can't go wrong with a bedtime between 730 and 830 for school-age kids.
Today Matt’s discussion with Dr. Craig Canapari continues, delving into the major changes in sleep that a child will go through from the ages of one to ten. This includes how regularity and appropriate sleep opportunities are important for getting good sleep, and potential medical issues that can arise from not getting enough sleep, such as snoring and restless leg disorder. They also discuss when during child development it can be wise to reduce napping and switch to monophasic (single nighttime) sleep bouts, and expectations around the transition from a crib to a bed, which often happens around ages 2-4 years.
Added to this is a conversation about how to deal with struggles with getting your child down for the night. One effective method is changing the *timing* of bedtime, often trying to make it a little earlier, which can result in more sleep for your child. Dr. Canapari also brings attention to the clear and significant sleep disparities that exist across socioeconomic lines in both adults and children. They emphasize the importance of paying attention to the red flags of behavioral issues, falling asleep easily, and hyperactivity which can indicate insufficient sleep.
Matt and Craig discuss the increasing use of melatonin as a sleep aid in children over the past decade and address safety concerns, highlighting that it can be an appropriate intervention if used with caution and in conjunction with a behavioral plan. Finally, Dr. Canapari reminds us that snoring in a child should not be ignored. It can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which can be holding your child back.
Please note that Matt is not a medical doctor, and none of the content in this podcast should be considered medical advice in any way, shape, or form, nor prescriptive in any way.
The good people at InsideTracker are one of the sponsors of this week's episode, and they are generously offering a special 25% off any one of their programs for anyone who uses the above link during the time window of this episode. InsideTracker is a personalized biometric platform that analyzes your blood and your DNA to better understand what's happening inside of you and offers suggestions regarding things that you can do to better try and adjust some of those numbers, optimize them, and, as a result, optimize you.
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As always, if you have thoughts or feedback you’d like to share, please reach out to Matt on Instagram.
Links for Dr. Canapari:
Book: https://a.co/d/07SDrVn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCanapari
Web: sleek.bio/canapari
TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMemf3exT/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcanapari/
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