Should I put my child to sleep later

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Should I put my child to sleep later

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A lot of parents want to put their baby or their child to bed super late so they will sleep in in the morning, just like you or I would do. And I get that. That makes sense. But unfortunately it doesn't work for our children really until about 7-8 years old that they can go to bed later and sleep later. You really want to get them to bed earlier that magical window where the body is ready to go to sleep and stay asleep. If we miss that window, what you and I have experienced as the infamous second wind, then the body says, well I don't see any signs of going to sleep. So we better wake up. And it secretes hormones to make us all energetic or our kids hyper. And then it's harder for them to go to sleep and to stay asleep. They'll wake up more during the night. And they'll wake up too early in the morning, 5 o'clock, and they're ready to go. And then they're starting to fall asleep and be tired around 9. It's like this downward cycle. So really, really, an earlier bedtime is much better, and it will help them sleep longer.

Watch Video: Should I put my child to sleep later by Kim West, LCSW-C, ...

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Kim West, LCSW-C

Psychotherapist & Author, The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight

Kim West is a mother of two and a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) who has been a practicing child and family social worker for more than 19 years. Known as The Sleep Lady by her clients, over the past 12 years she has helped thousands of tired parents all over the world learn to listen to their intuition, recognize their child’s important cues and behaviors, and gently create changes that promote and preserve his or her healthy sleep habits. 

West has appeared on the Dr. Phil, Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, TLC’s Bringing Home Baby  and CNN, and has been written about in a number of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Baby Talk,  Parenting, The Baltimore Sun, USA Today, The Telegraph, The Irish Independent and the Washington Post. West hosts the sleep section of The Newborn Channel, played in maternity wards in hospitals across the country. West is the author of The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy with Joanne Kenen. She is also the author of 52 Sleep Secrets for Babies and The Good Night, Sleep Tight Workbook.

Kim received her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. She lives with her family in Annapolis, Maryland.

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