Sleep is everything—especially for growing kids (and their exhausted parents). In this episode, we unpack how much sleep kids really need, why routines matter, what the science says about sleep training, and how to handle sleepwalking, nightmares, and more. Plus: safe sleep tips, melatonin myths, and why your teen always wants to sleep in.
Hours of sleep recommendations
1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27707447/
SIDS prevention articles
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2824101 rates of SIDS before and after covid 19 pandemic
https://www.jwatch.org/pa201204250000001/2012/04/25/how-risk-factors-sids-have-changed-back-sleep Change in risk factors since Back to Sleep campaign was launched
Cureus 2023 Jun 17;15(6):e40572. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40572. eCollection 2023 Jun. SIDS risk factors and newer strategies to decrease risk
SIDS prevention updated guidelines 2022
Circadian rhythm in kids
1) J Sleep Res. 2015;24(5):510. Epub 2015 Feb 14. sleep disturbance affects academic performance
2) Child Adolesc Psychiatry Clin N Am. 2009 Oct;18(4):813-23. sleep disturbances affects performance and mood
3)Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):10235. Epub 2022 Jun 17. increased discrepancy between weekday and weekend sleep causes more mood disruptions
4) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27775095/- Sci Rep. 2016 Oct 24:6:35812.
doi: 10.1038/srep35812. Estimate of sleep debt recovery
5) Crowley SJ, Acebo C, Carskadon MA. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and delayed phase in
adolescence. Sleep Med. 2007;8:602–12. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2006.12.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
OSAS: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/130/3/576/30284/Diagnosis-and-Management-of-Childhood-Obstructive?autologincheck=redirected
Night waking
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.01.009. Normal for infants to wake at night
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/baby-sleep/sleep-training- discusses different methods to help with night waking
Parasomnias
Singh, S., Kaur, H., Singh, S., & Khawaja, I. (2018). Parasomnias: A comprehensive review. Cureus, 10(12), e3807.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30868021/
Morse, A. M., & Kotagal, S. (2023, October 13). Parasomnias of childhood, including sleepwalking. UpToDate.
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/parasomnias-of-childhood-including-sleepwalking
Dyssomnias
1.American Psychiatric Association. What Are Sleep Disorders? Last updated 8/2020. Accessed 6/19/2023
2. Guilleminault C, Akhtar F. Pediatric sleep-disordered breathing: New evidence on its development. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Dec. 24:46-56
3. Thorpy MJ, Krieger AC. Delayed diagnosis of narcolepsy: characterization and impact. Sleep Med. 2014 May. 15 (5):502-7
4. Sleep Med. 2024;119:222. Epub 2024 Apr 20. Melatonin use in managing insomnia in children with autism and other neurogenetic disorders - An assessment by the international pediatric sleep association (IPSA).
Cultural differences in sleep
Sleep Med. 2010 Apr;11(4):393-9. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2009.11.011. Parental behaviors and sleep outcomes in infants and toddlers: a cross-cultural comparison.
Sleep training: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, 5th Edition: A New Step-by-Step Guide for a Good Night's Sleep Paperback – August 24, 2021 by Marc Weissbluth M.D. (Author)
Sleeping Through the Night, Revised Edition - by Jodi A Mindell, PHD : all ages
Take Charge of Your Child's Sleep: The All-in-One Resource for Solving Sleep Problems in Kids and Teens Paperback – October 10, 2005 by Judith A. Owens, MD(Author), Jodi A. Mindell, PHD(Author)