Is your baby getting enough sleep?

Aussie babies are among the most sleep-deprived in the Western world, according to a recent survey.

The Pampers Golden Sleep Survey, conducted in conjunction with Tresillian Family Care Centres, showed that almost half of Australian babies aged between 12-24 months were getting less than eight hours sleep each night (compared to one third of babies in Western Europe).
 
This is four hours less than the 12 hours recommended by child health professionals.

POLL: How much sleep does your 12 to 24-month old get each night?

Tresillian Chair in Child and Family Health at the University of Technology Sydney, Professor Cathrine Fowler said parents knew the value of sleep.

"In fact, the survey demonstrated 92 per cent of mums believe sleep is one of the most important things their baby needs to grow and develop, and that their infant is likely to be more responsive throughout the day after a good period of uninterrupted sleep," she said.

"From my experience, infants who benefit from uninterrupted 'golden' sleep embrace each day with a better temperament and mood, setting the tone for a much happier day for everyone."

Not surprisingly the survey also found that parents are sleep deprived as well, with three quarters of mums surveyed saying an uninterrupted night of sleep would be priceless.

Other key finding of the study were:

• 90 per cent of mums said their babies were happier after a good night's sleep.
• 52 per cent of mums said establishing a good sleeping routine was one of the greatest challenges of parenthood.
• Despite 46 per cent of Australian babies receiving less than eight hours sleep 75 per cent of Aussie mums believe their baby is a good sleeper.

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