Paediatrician shares sleep tips to boost your child’s growth and development

Lack of sleep can affect your child's mood and growth too! A paediatrician shares top tips to help you establish a healthy bedtime routine for your little one.

Sleep is a crucial part of a child’s physical and mental development. Young minds develop best if they get ample sleep. Sleep also has a direct impact on an infant's and a toddler’s mood and health, lead to a happier and healthier child. Additionally, cognitive abilities, alertness, resiliency, and mood are all impacted by sleep patterns.

Importance of sleep for toddlers

Improve your child's sleep habits for better growth and development. (Adobe Stock)

By Tavishi Dogra

Tavishi Dogra is a Deputy Chief Content Producer, Health & Wellness, at Hindustan Times. She has over 9 years of experience writing about fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, translating medical research and expert insights into practical advice readers can trust.

Career journey and experience
Tavishi began her health journalism journey in 2017, and has since reported for RSTV, Financial Express, Jagran, HT Media Labs and Zee. She joined Hindustan Times to simplify wellness subjects by cutting through jargon.

From decoding health trends and interviewing doctors to testing fitness routines herself, Tavishi always approaches content with one filter: “Will this help someone make a better decision today?”

Subject expertise
With 9+ years tracking India’s health conversations, Tavishi knows the gap between clinical advice and daily life. She knows fads from fundamentals and curates science-backed, expert-recommended solutions.

In fitness, she breaks down bodyweight training, recovery, and posture fixes for desk-bound readers. In nutrition, she translates guidelines into affordable, desi meal tweaks. In mental well-being, she focuses on stigma-free, actionable tools — all backed by research, expert input, and lived context.

Education and professional background
Tavishi holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and began her career reporting on public affairs for broadcast. Those early years in policy and TV shaped how she writes today: fast, factual, and human-first.

Editorial Philosophy
I write with one single goal: To simplify health in a world full of noise by finding what’s actually doable, safe, and evidence-based for my readers. I test claims against research and user experiences. When all else fails, I speak to the expert who sees 50 patients a day, not the one with the most followers.

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Even vocabulary acquisition, learning, and memory power are enhanced by good sleep. In early infancy, sleep plays a crucial role. Napping is essential for maintaining executive attention, consolidating memory, and developing motor skills. A child with disturbed or irregular sleep patterns may exhibit crankiness and irritability.

Common signs of sleep deprivation in infants and toddlers

Physical signs

• Rubbing of eyes and frequent yawning
• Frequent illness and a weakened immune system due to a lack of sleep
• Lack of coordination
• Having droopy eyelids

Behavioral signs

• Difficulty in falling asleep leading to fussy and irritable behaviour
• Skipping naps due to mood swings and overtiredness
• Restless sleep due to hyperactivity
• Waking up too early
• Shorter attention span and trouble concentrating

Bedtime routines for better sleep in children

Dr Arun Kumar N, Paediatrician and Intensivist, Natus Women and Children Hospital, tells Health Shots his top tips for parents to help children get good sleep:

1. Parents should avoid exposure to bright lights and all forms of electronic media, such as mobile phones, TV, and computers, for at least one hour before bedtime.
2. Brushing and going to the washroom before bedtime are two habits that have to be incorporated into kids.
3. Let the kids wear easy and comfortable nightdresses.
4. Providing a soothing environment to the kids by reading them a book, letting them colour, or showering them will be helpful.

Mistakes parents should avoid when setting a bedtime routine

1. Inconsistent bedtime routines: Not following a consistent sleep schedule can alter the child’s natural sleep patterns. Varying sleep schedules between weekdays and weekends can lead to disrupted sleep patterns, according to research published in PubMed Central.
2. Longer naps during the day: Allowing children to rest or nap for more extended periods during the day may impact their nighttime sleep quality.
3. Sleep-friendly environment: Bedrooms or cribs should be designated for sleep, rather than used for playtime. Use dim lights, reduce noise, and maintain a comfortable room temperature, as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.
4. Eating habits before bedtime: It is essential not to give the child sugary food items before bedtime, as it may make them more energetic. Keeping meals light during dinner can help children sleep better.
5. Be patient and consistent: It is essential to be consistent and predictable in your effort, which can help achieve the goal of instilling healthy sleeping patterns in children.