Letting Your Sick Child Sleep: Good Or Bad?

As a parent, it's normal to worry about your child's sleep patterns, especially when they're unwell. While it can be concerning to see your child sleep all day, it's important to remember that their body is fighting off an illness, and rest is crucial for their recovery. However, it's also essential to ensure they're getting enough fluids and nourishment throughout the day. Striking a balance between letting them sleep and making sure they're adequately hydrated is key.

Letting your child sleep longer than three hours at a time during the day

When your child is sick, it's important to remember that their body is working hard to fight off the infection. As such, they will need more sleep than usual, so longer or extra naps are good and expected. However, it's crucial to ensure that they are still getting enough calories and staying hydrated. With that in mind, here are some tips for "Letting your child sleep longer than three hours at a time during the day":

• While it's generally recommended to wake a sick child after three hours of napping to ensure they're getting enough food and water, this can be flexible depending on the situation. If your child is sleeping very late into the afternoon and their nap starts to blend into their bedtime, you may want to wake them to avoid completely disrupting their night sleep.
• Make sure to offer fluids and food when they wake up. This is important to keep them hydrated and nourished. Breastfeeding sessions can be offered more frequently, and if your child is no longer breastfeeding, make sure to constantly offer liquids such as water, juice, or popsicles (depending on their age).
• Try to maintain their normal sleep routines and environment as much as possible. This includes keeping their sleep area dark, cool, and quiet, which can help eliminate distractions and allow them to rest better. If possible, you can also use a vaporizer or cool-mist humidifier to clear congestion and improve their comfort.
• Be mindful of the potential for new sleep habits to form during sickness. While it's okay to comfort and support your child when they're sick, be curious about how much help they actually need. For example, can they fall asleep with just your hand on their tummy, or do they need more intervention? This can help prevent the formation of new sleep associations that may be difficult to break once they recover.
• If you want to remain close to your child while they're sick, consider joining them in their room instead of bringing them into your bed. You can set up a mattress or sleeping bag on the floor of their room, which allows them to continue using their usual sleep space and avoids potential sleep disruptions later on.
• If your child is sleeping during the day but staying up extra late at night, this trade-off may not be ideal. Night sleep is the most restorative type of sleep, so try to prioritize maintaining their regular bedtime as much as possible.

Creating a soothing environment

When your child is sick, you want to ensure they get enough rest to recover. Here are some tips to create a soothing environment to promote better sleep:

Make the room dark and quiet

A dark, cool, and quiet room can help eliminate distractions and allow your child to rest better. Use blackout curtains or blinds to block out any light, and minimise noise by keeping the windows closed or using a white noise machine.

Use a cool-mist humidifier or try a steam treatment

A cool-mist humidifier or vaporiser can help clear congestion and make it easier for your child to breathe and sleep. Place the humidifier close enough to your child so that the mist reaches them, but always keep it out of their reach for safety. Alternatively, you can run hot water in the bathroom with the door closed to create a steamy environment, then take your child in to breathe in the steamy air. Always supervise your child during steam treatments and leave the room if they become uncomfortable.

Use saline drops and gentle suction

Saline drops can help loosen congestion, and you can then gently suction out the mucus using a bulb syringe or a wet cotton swab. Clearing the mucus before sleep and mealtimes will make it easier for your child to breathe and eat.

Keep your child well-hydrated

Offer your child plenty of fluids such as breast milk, formula, water (if over 6 months), or paediatric oral rehydration solutions. Fluids help thin mucus, ease congestion, and prevent dehydration.

Keeping parts of your normal routine

It is completely normal for your child to sleep more when they are unwell. Their body is working hard to fight the infection, and they may feel extra tired during the day, especially if their overnight sleep quality is poor. While this may temporarily derail your child's sleep schedule, more rest is a good thing. Sleep boosts the immune system, which can help get rid of the illness faster.

However, it is still important to try and keep some parts of your normal routine. Here are some tips to help you do that:

• Normal sleep or bedtime routines: You can continue to do these, or a shorter version of them, before your child sleeps. They will probably sleep more during the day, so nap times may be more frequent or at different times, and that's okay. Just make sure they are still getting fluids and feedings as normal to stay hydrated and nourished.
• Normal sleep environment: If you feel comfortable, you can have your child continue to sleep and nap in their usual sleep environment with a dark room and their sound machine. These two things will help your child get more restorative sleep.
• Monitor your child: If you want to keep a closer eye on your child while they sleep, consider making a bed on the floor of their room for yourself. That way, you can be close by without disrupting their sleep environment.
• Stick to a feeding schedule: While it's okay to let your child sleep as much as they need, it's important to make sure they are getting enough calories and hydration. Offer fluids often, and wake your child at the three-hour mark during the day to ensure they are getting enough food and water.
• Get back to your routine once your child is better: Once your child is feeling better, jump right back into your normal routine. It may take a few days for your child's sleep to get back to normal, but once they are 100% better, reinstate your normal expectations and boundaries around bedtime and sleep.

Going to your child instead of bringing them to your bed

If you don't want to bring your sick child into your bed, but you want to be close by in case they need you, you could try moving them into your room temporarily. Set them up with a pack 'n' play, or even just a duvet and blankets on the floor, and keep them close by without sacrificing your own sleep quality.

If your child is very young, it's important to remember that co-sleeping is not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP does, however, recommend keeping your child's separate sleep area (bassinet, crib, etc.) in your room, close to your bed. This is regarded as much safer than sharing a bed.

If your child is sleeping in your room, or even if they're in their own room, it's a good idea to use a baby monitor. That way, you can check their breathing and other symptoms without having to be in the room with them, which will minimise sleep disruptions for both of you.

If your child is sleeping in their own room, you could also try sleeping on the couch, or on the floor in their room, so that you're close by if they need you. Just remember that, if you're sleeping on the couch with a sick baby, there's an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Ensuring your child is well-hydrated

It is recommended to wake your child after three hours of napping during the day to ensure they are getting enough fluids and nutrition. Their body needs calories, hydration, and nourishment to fight the illness. However, it is generally okay to let them sleep longer than usual if they are sick, as their body is working hard to recover.

If your child is vomiting or has diarrhoea, it is even more important to ensure they stay hydrated. Offer them fluids frequently, and if they are breastfeeding, you can offer more frequent sessions. It is also important to monitor your child's hydration levels, especially if they are refusing fluids. If they show signs of dehydration, such as a decrease in activity levels or a reduction in wet diapers, seek medical advice.

In addition to hydration, there are other ways to help your child when they are unwell. A warm bath can be soothing, especially if the room is steamed up to help with congestion. Using a humidifier or vaporizer can also aid in clearing congestion. A massage before bedtime may help with any body aches, and a nasal aspirator can be useful for clearing a stuffy nose.

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