This is a picture of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It’s a popular theory in psychology that shows what humans need in order to survive and thrive. The premise is that you need to have what is on the lower levels before you are able to achieve what is at the top. For instance, a person would want to have safety (a warm house) before they are really able to seek out belonging (friendship, for instance).
Now you may be wondering why I’m going down memory lane from my days studying psychology. This is a concept that really stuck with me. It makes so much sense that we need to have our basic needs met first before we can satisfy other parts of our lives. I specifically remember being surprised to see sleep alongside food and water (especially as a college student!).
Sleep is as important to human survival as food and water. This is so easy to overlook. We want so many things for our children: we want them to be safe, feel loved, be kind, become successful, and so many other things. It’s important to remind ourselves that we need to remember the basics first.
It is overwhelming to be a parent, especially now with so much access to information on the Internet. You see so many “perfect” parents on social media and read tons of things you “should” be doing with your child. On one hand, it’s great to feel motivated to help your child become the best person that they can. On the other hand, it’s easy to forget about the basics, sleep in particular.
As new parents, a lot of emphasis is put on breastfeeding, formula, and all things feeding, but sleep sometimes falls by the wayside. Sleep is unstructured when a baby is first born, but even at that stage, there are things you can do to set your child up for a lifetime of healthy sleep.
Some parents worry about what it might look like to help their child learn how to sleep. It’s understandable. It’s one of the first skills that they really need to learn on their own. We can’t fall asleep for them. We can set them up for success and be there to support them. It can be scary for parents. Yet knowing what we know about how important sleep is should help parents feel confident that they are doing the right thing.
Making an investment now to instill healthy sleep habits in your child will help them maintain this basic need for the rest of their lives. A well rested child will be more ready to learn new skills, play, make friends, and take on any Instagram activity you’ve been wanting to try with them!