Pictured: Zed vibrating car mimic soother

World Sleep Day is a day when we focus on the importance of a good night’s sleep for you, your baby and your family. Learn what past and present focuses we have, plus some great sleep tips!

World Sleep Day, occurring on the Friday before the vernal spring equinox, is all about focusing on the importance of sleep for every human being. Each year there is a specific focus, as well as detailing the benefits and impacts sleep has on our lives, and education on the many sleep problems and their management.

We take sleep and it’s associated problems and benefits seriously. So much so that we even included the word sleep in our name! We’ve put together a quick rundown of past and possible World Sleep Day focuses, along with some advice for common sleep issues that families of young children may have.

World Sleep Day Focuses

Every year World Sleep Day has a particular focus, which they use to educate and highlight key sleep related issues within that focus. In 2021, that focus is ‘Regular Sleep, Healthy Futures’ which discusses the benefits of achieving regular sleep by using stable bedtime and wake up times, including improved mood, higher academic achievement and better psychomotor performance.

Past years have discussed sleep topics including

• 2020 - Better Sleep, Better Life, Better Planet
• 2019 - Healthy Sleep, Healthy Aging
• 2018 - Join the Sleep World, Preserve Your Rhythms to Enjoy Life
• 2017 - Sleep Soundly, Nurture Life
• 2016 - Good Sleep is a Reachable Dream
• 2015 - When Sleep is Sound, Health and Happiness Abound
• 2014 - Restful Sleep, Easy Breathing, Healthy Body
• 2013 - Good Sleep, Healthy Aging
• 2012 - Breathe Easily, Sleep Well
• 2011 - Sleep Well, Grow Healthy
• 2010 - Sleep Well, Stay Healthy
• 2009 - Drive Alert, Arrive Safe
• 2008 - Sleep Well, Live Fully Awake

While we don’t have a crystal ball, in the future we hope to see a focus around setting sleep routines for infants and toddlers and recognising and managing sleep deprivation in new parents.

Pictured: Warm-ease Anti-colic belt

Advice on Common Sleep Problems Faced by Young Families

Everyone always asks questions such as ‘is baby sleeping through the night yet?’ or ‘what time is their nap?” of new parents. But rarely do they ask how the parents and other siblings are sleeping. Therefore, we thought we’d best give a quick rundown on the common sleep issues faced by young families and what they can do about them:

• Sleep deprivation – this is for the new mums and dads who struggle with waking multiple times per night. The advice to sleep when baby is sleeping is nice, but often not practical. If you are unable to get someone to do your housework, washing and cooking, then you will end up doing it yourself. Perhaps having a roster with your partner as to who gets up and feeds baby each time would be useful. Or maybe ask a friend to stay over for a night to help settle baby after each feed, giving you a few extra minutes sleep.
• Colic – not a sleep problem, but something that prevents sleep! There are many different suggestions to manage colic, from bottle types, teat types, wrapping and white noise machines that can help. We’ve listed a lot of colic products in our shop.
• Dummy runs – older babies who spit out their dummies and expect you to come running can seem like they are doing it on purpose. Well, some may be, but using a Sleepytot which has the dummy attached makes it easier for them to find and insert it themselves – while you stay in bed!

Finally, you are most welcome to join our Sleepytot parenting community group on Facebook, where parents just like you are happy to share their advice and empathy with you.