Up to 40% of children aren't getting enough sleep

Paediatric sleep expert Anna Baker of SleepBaker has warned that up to 40 per cent of Australian children may be failing to meet recommended sleep requirements, which could severely impact their cognitive development, memory retention, and emotional well-being.

A failure to meet recommended sleep requirements can severely impact children’s cognitive development, memory retention, and emotional well-being.

Ms Baker is on a mission to have this statistic more readily understood, noting that research shows that proper sleep can boost a child’s learning capacity by up to 35 per cent, and calling on parents to address sleep disruptions before the school year ramps up.

Central to this mission is her call for early learning services to prioritise nap time, which plays a key role in children’s successful transition to kindergarten.

Experts emphasise that sleep is crucial in early childhood, as 90 per cent of brain development happens before five years of age. With tens of thousands of Australian children enrolled in preschool care, it's vital that education centres recognise their role in fostering healthy sleep habits that support growth and development.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends 10–13 hours for children aged 3–5 years and 9–11 hours for those aged 6–13 years.

“I work with children up to 8 years old, so it's never too late to start,” she said.

“The earlier you establish a healthy sleep routine, especially around the pre-kindy years, the greater the benefits for early learning. It will supercharge them for school, helping them absorb information with ease.”

Studies highlight that well-rested children demonstrate better focus, memory, and emotional resilience, which Ms Baker says are key pillars of effective learning. Chronic sleep difficulties in early childhood can evolve into anxiety-related and emotional stability challenges down the track, which can in turn impact whole families and affect household dynamics.

This fragmented pattern can contribute to persistent sleep deprivation for parents, which in turn can exacerbate mental health issues such as postpartum depression and anxiety.

“People don’t often realise how detrimental poor sleep can be for all areas of their lives,” she said.

Ms Baker recently began working with Little Zak's Academy which now uses her expertise to implement sleep practices that enhance children’s learning and provide stable sleep schedules.

Parents who don’t send their children to early learning centres can still benefit from the techniques being shared at Little Zak’s Academy.

“Science-based techniques such as creating a calming bedtime routine, reinforcing boundaries, and setting consistent ‘lights-out’ times have been shown to foster independence, boost confidence, and reduce nighttime anxiety, and plenty of these techniques can be easily achieved in the pre-kindy facilities or at home,” Ms Baker concluded.

Learn more about Ms Baker’s work here.