Understanding Sleep Onset

Nov 9

Most parents believe that the quicker their baby or child falls asleep once the lights are turned off, the better, but what they don’t realize is that a slightly longer sleep onset is actually a sign of better sleep health.

According to Lyndsey Hookway, a leading pediatric sleep researcher and founder of the Holistic Sleep Coaching program, sleep onset is a useful tool for assessing a child’s potential level of sleep deprivation (or over-tiredness). She provides this understanding of sleep latency; or the time it takes to fall asleep after the lights have gone out.

Less than 5 minutes: indicates severe sleep deprivation

5-10 minutes: indicates troublesome sleep deprivation

10-15 minutes: manageable

15-20 minutes: ideal

25+ minutes: could indicate some other sleep issue (such as under-tiredness, sleep related anxiety, discomfort, etc.)

(Hookway, 2019, p. 50-51)

Oftentimes parents are genuinely surprised that 20 minutes is considered, not only healthy, but ideal, when it comes to the amount of time it takes their child to fall asleep. While it can be tempting to rejoice when your child “passes out” quickly. It could also be the cause of some of the sleep issues your child is facing.

For example, a child who falls asleep too quickly (indicating over-tiredness) is more likely to experience false starts; which is when your child falls asleep initially, but then wakes up 30 minutes-1 hours later, and has difficulty falling back asleep. In addition, overtiredness is also linked to frequent wakings before midnight, waking up from naps groggy and irritable, and less smooth transitions through sleep cycles, with more physical jerking; which, in turn, causes more chance of complete arousal.

So, what can you do to prevent a short sleep latency, and help your child improve their sleep deficit? Here are some suggestions:

Shoot for an earlier bedtime. Try putting your child to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual, and before you start to see active signs of overtiredness (whining, fussing, yawning, rubbing eyes, etc)
If you are in the habit of capping naps, but your child is falling asleep very quickly, or waking up groggy and irritable, consider allowing your child to wake naturally from their naps for a few days to see if it improves their mood throughout the day, and lengthens sleep onset to the desired time range
Take a look at your overall nap schedule and make sure your child is getting enough opportunities for daytime sleep, with the correct awake time in between (something I can help you with, if you don’t know where to start)

Now let’s consider that your child is falling asleep after 25+ minutes on a regular basis. This could indicate that your child is going to bed under-tired, or perhaps experiencing discomfort; or even sleep anxiety that is impacting their ability to get to sleep.

The first thing I would suggest, would be to check their schedule. Perhaps they are ready to drop a nap or lengthen their awake windows throughout the day. If your child is taking a while to go down for naps, and then waking up between 45 minutes- 1 hour, they could be under-tired. Under-tiredness can also lead to false starts, early rises, and split nights. So, if your child is taking a while to fall asleep, and also experiencing one of these other issues, it is likely that they need increased awake time throughout the day, increased physical activity, or both! You can also try moving their bedtime back in 15 minute increments, until they are properly tired.

If your child seems tired, but then struggles to fall asleep; double check the environment. Is the room dark and calm? Are you using a consistent and calming sleep routine? You may also want to explore anything that might be causing discomfort. Here are a few common culprits:

Digestive issues such as reflux or gas
Hunger
Ear infection
Teething
Being too warm or too cold
Emotional upset such as fear, general anxiety, or separation anxiety

If you can address the root cause of their discomfort, you can help them fall asleep more quickly.

Over-stimulation, such as too much screen time before bed, or activities that fall too close to bedtime (such as sports practice or games) can also lead to difficulty in falling asleep. So, take a look at your daily habits, activities, and routines and consider making changes that allow for more downtime before bed.

Sleep onset is just one factor that can help indicate your child’s sleep health. When you work with a sleep consultant who takes a holistic perspective, these are the types of small pieces of information that we can investigate as part of the bigger picture of your child’s sleep. If your child is struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep; or if they often appear overtired and cranky; I’d love to help you make improvements to optimize sleep for your family. You can book your free discovery call at https://calendly.com/slumberbunnies/discoverycall

Works Cited

Hookway, L. (2019). Holistic sleep coaching: Gentle alternatives to sleep training for Health and Childcare Professionals. Praeclarus Press.