A–Z Glossary

Sleep debt

Sleep debt is insufficient sleep that can reduce attention, frustration tolerance, impulse control, and daytime functioning.

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How many hours of sleep are needed

How many hours of sleep are needed

The practical number for most pregnant adults For a healthy adult, the consensus recommendation is 7 or more hours of sleep per night on a regular basis. That benchmark is still the most useful starting point in pregnancy because most pregnant people are adults, and pregnancy does not create a separate universal sleep-duration number that […]

When baby drops naps

When baby drops naps

What it means when a baby drops a nap Dropping a nap means that one daytime sleep episode is no longer consistently necessary for your child to remain well rested. The transition is usually gradual. A baby may sleep during one nap on some days and skip it on others, especially when the family schedule, […]

Returning to a school sleep schedule after vacation

Returning to a school sleep schedule after vacation

Why vacation sleep drifts and why that matters On vacation, children often stay up later, sleep in, or nap at unusual times. That is not a moral failure or a parenting mistake; it is simply what happens when school schedules, early alarms, and homework pressure temporarily disappear. The result can be a delayed circadian rhythm, […]

Child inconsistent habits problem

Child inconsistent habits problem

Understanding inconsistent habits in children A child inconsistent habits problem usually means that everyday behaviors are unreliable across days or settings. A child may brush teeth independently one night and refuse the next, fall asleep easily during the week but stay awake for hours on weekends, or complete homework after school only when a caregiver […]