The Science of Sleep
New parents lose 657 hours of sleep per year.
Let us just have that sink in for a moment. 6 5 7 H O U R S! It sounds remarkably like a title for the next blockbuster horror film. However, this statistic comes from a survey carried out by the charity Book Trust. It is based on a survey of over 1,000 families of children aged three and under on sleeping habits and bedtime routines, which also found that sleep deprivation is the most stressful challenge about becoming a parent, second only to worries about children’s health. A fifth of respondents (21%) revealed they have taken a day off work to catch up on lost sleep.
Many of you reading this will have formed new friendships in those early years based purely on sleep (or lack of it!). Who knew before having children that we could speak so eloquently, and for so long, about sleep, but there we are at every mum-and-baby group discussing our nightly get ups, feeds, routines and nightmares.
“Sleep, along with diet and exercise, is at the very foundation of health and well-being. It is a fundamental and critical biological need—not an optional endeavour to be taken lightly. Quite simply, sleeping is one of the most important functions in life, and it must be prioritised as such” states Terry Cralle, Certified Clinical Sleep Educator.
For both parents and children, sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle but possibly one that us parents do not prioritise, or simply can’t! In the early days of becoming a mother, I obsessed about the time when my newborn would sleep and little did I know that my first 7 hour sleep would come the day that she turned one. For some people this is unimaginable and for others I am considered lucky. But is there anything that we can do to help our kids sleep through the night?
I suppose the debate on this answer could start World War 3 so I’m not going to go there but one thing that worked for us was comfort. We all know what it’s like to fall asleep in a bra and wake up 3 hours later feeling like your chest is a vice, well… Being comfortable at night, wearing breathable, well-designed, correctly fitting pyjamas has helped us to win the (metaphorical) war on toddler sleep.
It is well known that children of all ages thrive on predictable and structured routines that help them feel safe and secure. A regular schedule provides children with a sense of order and organisation, while following a consistent bedtime routine aids in the development of healthy sleep habits that result in quality sleep.
THE CLOTHING A CHILD SPENDS 8–10 HOURS SLEEPING IN IS IMPORTANT TO A CHILD'S WELL-BEING. PYJAMAS ARE A NECESSARY PART OF PROMOTING GOOD HEALTH AND PREVENTING INFECTIONS AND DISEASE, AS WELL AS PROVIDING PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS. —SHELDON H. CHERRY, MD, CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY.
Pyjamas are a key component of even the most basic bedtime routine. Children’s pyjamas are often in child-pleasing colours, textures, and patterns, and are typically designed for sleep comfort and safety.
Alienor Falconer, founder of The Bright Company, has built her company around the idea of making bedtimes brighter. She states ‘for us, form really must follow function; our designs play close attention to the distinct physical needs of the wearer. For example the signature SLIM JYMS pyjamas are designed to be slim fitting so that they don't 'ride up' at night leaving little ones with cold patches. While the MONTY SLEEPSUIT avoids the baggy excessive fabric so common in sleepsuit designs today, making the first tentative first crawls, steps and runs much easier.
All our products since AW16 use super-soft, GOTS certified organic cotton jersey fabric. It's the softest we can possibly source! It also meets the strict OEKO-TEX Standard 100, ensuring no harmful substances or dyes are used at any stage of production - crucial for peace of mind when creating garments for young children. With the importance of sleep for all of us, night time comfort shouldn't be overlooked!’
Our sleepwear range is a collection that has been tried and tested because only then could I put it on sale, singing from the rooftops that they get two thumbs and our seal of approval!
I’d love to hear your experiences with sleep!
Love,
Lucy x
