As parents, we know that watching your little one happily drift off into peaceful, undisturbed sleep is one of the best feelings in the world.

It’s a feeling that means you can enjoy the rest of your evening knowing that they will wake up tomorrow morning feeling refreshed, replenished, and ready to learn new things. We all know that, more than anything, our children need a full night's sleep to allow their young, developing, eager minds sufficient time to rest and reboot!

Sleep is vitally important for everyone, whether they are young or old. Not only does it affect the state of our physical health, but it also affects our mental health. It can impact cognitive performance, vocabulary acquisition, alertness and attention, learning and memory, and mood. And when it comes to our tiny tots, sleep is a vital ingredient for their healthy growth in a multitude of ways!

So, a worthwhile lesson for any parent is to learn more about sleep in general—to take the time to understand just why it’s so crucial for their children’s overall health and how they can ensure they are getting enough of it!

Why is sleep so important for my toddler?

Sleep has a key effect on a child’s growth. When it comes to your child’s growth, sleep helps to keep things on track. It’s the foundation for your little one to function properly on a number of different levels. Sleep is when we grow and develop physically, mentally, and emotionally, regardless of our age.

Daytime napping is necessary for toddlers. If you’ve ever wondered why your toddler needs naps during the day, daytime napping is said to be necessary for a child’s developmental needs at this age. For example, for their focus, attention, memory consolidation, and motor-skill development.

It has a direct impact on your child’s happiness. Even if you fill your child’s life with everything you could possibly think of to ensure they are happy, remember that if they aren’t sleeping properly, they probably won’t feel as content as they could.

Sleep deprivation can hinder your child’s ability to learn. One of the reasons your toddler desperately needs good-quality sleep is that their brain needs this time to restore resources that were used up during the day. If they have sufficient rest, their brains will be better able to learn new information. When we sleep, our brains work hard at consolidating the information we have learned.

Sleep deprivation can hinder your child’s bodily functions. In addition, without proper sleep, your child’s natural bodily functions may suffer.

Now that we’ve explored why sleep is so crucial for your little one, here’s a short list of signs to look out for to recognise if your toddler is getting enough sleep or not:

How do I know if my child is getting enough sleep?

In general, if your child is getting enough sleep, they will appear happy in every way! They will be excited about life and interested in approaching most tasks and being involved in daily activities.

Signs that your child is not sleeping enough include clumsiness, clinginess, and moodiness. They may cry more often and be more emotional and anxious. They will appear tired and unmotivated, and they may have headaches and mood swings.

How do I know if my child's getting enough sleep?

From Unii’s Toddler Sleep Journey, we look at how you know your child is sleeping enough.