Sleep is one of the most talked about topics among parents .we must all know how important is sleep for every one's well being ,for a start it means the difference between a cheerful or grumpy child,Sleep is important for Children’ growth and good health. A good night’s sleep awake children fresh physically and mentally. Consistent and quality sleep helps children stay alert and focused the entire day. It increases their ability to concentrate, to remember things well, to solve problems and to enjoy normal physical activity.where as children who do not take enough sleep are likely to be moody, irritable, easily frustrated, and show more angry or sadness.

When your child is 6 months to 1 year of age Put your baby in the cot when she/he is drowsy, but not asleep. This will teach the baby to self-soothe oneself and fall asleep on her own without any interference.Develop this as a daily schedule and routine for sleeping time
and stick to it.Sleep is equally vital for school going children ,a good sleeps helps the child to set the day .By the time your child is 1 yr to 3 yrs old the need for sleep begins to decrease. Most toddlers sleep 10 to 13 hours a night only.

Sleep helps the child to cop up with the social stress and the pressure of the busy school life and also promotes learning .Basically sleep is important for growing brain.If children are deprived of sleep they become fussy and irritating .Set your child’s bedtime according to his/her age and sleep requirements, maintain a consistent routine and schedule. School going children need about 10 hours of sleep each night.children basically grow while sleeping .

Today there are number of distractions to keep children out of bed ,television ,Internet talking on phone with friends and also addictions of playing video games all compete to their bedtime attention they do not go to bed until and unless they are really drowsy and can;t stay awake any more.

Most of the time children are seen racing around the house at late hours in the evening ,may be 10 pm or more, all this lead to associated problems such as trouble getting up in the morning in fresh mood having unrest at night and having nightmares these are some common problem affecting some of our kids.

The amount of sleep required for our children vary from age to age new born and toddler need more sleep that other children as they grow up their sleeping hours reduce.Babies go through a complete sleep cycle about every fifty to sixty minutes, which shows they are often in a light sleep stage and wake up very often during the night.Newborns experience many short periods of wakefulness and sleepiness throughout the day. They may sleep for just for few minutes or for few hours at a time.

Most preschoolers need 10 to 12 hours of sleep in a day ,At the age of nine children need some what 10 hours sleep .When puberty hits, kids still need 8 to 9 hours sleep .though they sleep lesser than that. Next comes the teenagers they have fluctuation in their schedule they most of the time are overflowing with activities yet their over flowing demands on their system and sleep needs ramp up again.lack of sleep may lead to problems like inattentiveness at school poor memory and inconsistent performance ,bad temper and also use of stimulants as a bad substitute.

TEENS AND TIME:--
One of the most interesting reality of the adolescence's physiology is that their sleep and wake cycle gets delayed by two hours which means they do not feel sleepy until late night and at the same time wake up late in the morning .Children under 13 begin to secrete melatonin ,the hormone that make them sleepy by eight or nine at night most teenagers secrete melatonin by 11pm thus any time before this is no sleep zone ,they physically can not sleep .At the other end of the sleep zone is cortisol ,the chemical responsible for waking up In teenagers it secretes by 8.15 am usually too late to make it to school on time .so suppose if a child is dreamy and rubs his/her eyes at breakfast take it that if the brain takes its way it will be seen that the child might still be tucked in bed .

ESTABLISH GOOD HABITS:--
Sleep experts suggest that while adults may not have control over Child's biology we can assist them by encouraging them to build good sleep habits there are few ways to ease children into healthier bedtime and sleep habits.Establish regular bedtime:-kids may dislike it but stick to it during the week ,you may let them stay awake late at week ends have some wind down time .up to 45 minutes prior to bedtime should do the trick this can involve switching off the television ,computer and other distraction ,calming the children down and cutting out the snacks and caffeine establish bedtime routine this might include bath,brushing their teeth and sharing a Bedtime story, Reserve bedroom for sleep do not place computers ,television ,music system in the child's room instead create a calm -cave like atmosphere,the darken the room ,place the cuddling toys beside the child which will be done on routine basis ,so once the child's bed is ready the body clock compels them to say good night.Maintaining a dark room ,lowers the body temperature and let melatonin play its role so work with the sleep cycle A better knowledge of the biology of sleep and sleep pattern will go long way to help your kid get a better good night sleep