The truth is that I had to read this study several times and find more information about the author. In the end, it seems to me that I can only conclude that children sleep better when they go to bed with sleep and not that making them go to bed later makes them complain less and have less manifestations of nighttime anxiety.
The work I am referring to has been published by Professor Michael Gradisar, Professor of Child Clinical Psychology at the University of Flinders. His great idea has been that, so that children who cry or suffer anxiety when they are sent to bed alone fall asleep before and with fewer complaints, it is best to shorten their sleep hours.
We are crazy? First of all, if anyone has tried to make an exhausted or late-night child fall asleep, he will know that it is far from simple and can be more disturbed. The second, shortening the rest hours of a child cannot be good, children have to sleep the hours that their body needs, we get better or worse for adults. Your health may suffer.
Of course, it is not very logical to send a child who is not sleepy at a certain fixed time to sleep. Do not it would be better for the child to fall asleep when sleepy And as happy as possible, accompanied if you need to feel safe?
Despite the absurdity of the situation, well, as I say, I would interpret the study as better send the child to sleep when he is sleepy and that sending it before I'm sleepy will only give problems and complaints, I think there is something chilling in this type of work.
We are talking about depriving a child of sleep by decision of adults and thinking about its convenience and comfort, not that of the child. It is the parents who want him to sleep alone and without disturbing him, it is not a necessity of the child and getting used to it by letting him go to bed exhausted does not seem respectful at all. The goal is not for the child to be happier or healthier, but to obey the parents' rules and complain as little as possible even if they want to sleep together. It doesn't matter your suffering.
I am thinking of writing to you and proposing that in your new phase you include a group in the that children fall asleep when they are sleepy and they sleep in their parents' bed and then tell us which ones have more nighttime anxiety.
