Why do baby's sleep routine and sleep environment matter? Hint: executive functioning plays a role
Have you ever felt like there is so much “stuff” to pay attention to when it comes to your baby’s day in terms of getting quality sleep? If you have done your baby sleep homework as a new or expectant parent, you have likely already learned about the importance of incorporating sleep routines and setting up an environment conducive to sleep.
But, maybe having to consider so many details— from the color of the nursery, to what sleep sack to purchase has left you feeling a bit overwhelmed and have found yourself asking “What’s the point of all of this fuss?”
As a parent of an infant myself, I personally do well when I know why I am doing certain things rather than blindly following a recommendation. (Although sometimes when I am tired, I just need to know what to do without any extra explanations!)
But if you are feeling somewhat rested, and came here for the “why” behind a couple of the sleep foundations, I’ll tell you why sleep routines and the environment play a role in how well your baby or child learn sleeps habits, and— it partly has to do with executive functioning.
First of all, what is executive functioning?
Executive functioning is basically the ability to control your own behavior and manage impulses. You often hear executive functioning talked about in school settings, since these skills relate to planning, focusing, and being able to remember and follow instructions.
Executive function and self-regulation are skills that go hand in hand, which are not only important in the classroom, but also key for learning to fall asleep at a healthy time and, you guessed it—acquiring good sleep habits!
But how do the sleep environment and routines play a role in all of this?
Although sleep itself doesn’t need to be learned, since it is a biological function, being able to physically get to a place of calm in order to be relaxed enough before sleep is definitely a learned skill.
As an adult you may even be able to think about people you know, and be able to point out the differences in those with better sleep habits than others. I can think about two people in my immediate life with stark differences in sleep hygiene habits. In one scenario person #1 works until they drop, often passing out with all their clothes on, and person #2 knows they need a nightly shower in order to get their best sleep. For those that hold the thinking that sleep “doesn’t need to be taught”, it is the behaviors surrounding sleep that are what we are referring to when we talk about learning sleep skills or sleep hygiene.
And in terms of the sleep environment and routines, learning to wind down and get into this calm and sleepy state has to do with the cues in our environment that signal our brains and bodies to rest.
This is where “executive function” comes in! And a newer explanation of executive function was discussed last year by professors at the University of Kansas and Tennessee that supports teaching good sleep habits in the context of sleep environment, and routines.
Here are three takeaways from this updated discussion about executive functioning that relate to teaching healthy sleep habits:
1 ) “We can’t train executive functioning on its own like previously thought.”
In terms of sleep this means it's best to address more foundational areas of sleep first, such as the sleep environment, and routines. This is in contrast to jumping straight to sleep training which can be a mistake parents make when desperately trying to get their babies or toddler to sleep better, often leading to hours of unnecessary or unproductive tears.
2 ) “We think and behave within an environment, and we use many external factors to organize behavior.”
If you think about the small details that go into preparing a nursery— from the color of paint on the walls, to the level of light, to the type of bedding material, each of these seemingly small details act as a cue signaling a child as to how to behave. This is why vibrant colored walls with playful artwork might be best for a playroom, since these types of details may signal playtime or send a more “energizing” message— something you want to avoid at bedtime!
3 ) When it comes to teaching children, “we want to help children build connections between cues and appropriate behaviors”.
This is why we encourage setting up a sleep promoting environment, using bedtime routines, and healthy sleep associations in order to help our babies and children build a mind-body connection between the cues we introduce to them, so they can tune into to their bodies and go to sleep when it is time. Then the long term goal is for them carry these healthy habits along with them as they grow.
If you have a baby and are in need of inspiration as to how to set up the sleep environment and use routines, here are ways I do this with my baby:
1 ) A sleep promoting environment
I try to keep toys away at naps and bedtime, especially anything that can mysteriously light up or turn on, so when we are preparing for sleep we aren’t getting mixed messages that it is also time to play.
Now that my baby is more active in his crib, and can travel from one side of the crib to the other, I plan to remove his mobile, as it is beginning to become too distracting for sleep. We used to allow him to lay on the mobile side of the crib to look up at from time to time, but now that he can move around on his own, I noticed he will travel to the side of the crib that has the mobile overhead, and if he wakes up at night he will look up at it, smile and start playing.
And although I find it adorable seeing him looking up smiling on my baby monitor, a stimulating toy like his crib mobile doesn’t help him relax and go back to sleep if he happens to wake up at 3am.
2 ) A relaxing, consistent bedtime routine
For us, the routine for nap and bedtime is bath (if it is bedtime), pajamas, bottle, draw the shades, close the black out curtains, switch on the sound machine, dim the lights, put on the sleep sack, sing a song while doing some cuddles, laying baby down in the crib and finally lights out. His protests that occasionally start when the sleep sack goes on tells me he knows the transition is coming, but if the timing is right, he relaxes shortly after he is placed down in his crib and dozes off to sleep.
3 ) Healthy sleep associations
To help signal sleep I use black out shades, a sleep sack, turn on a sound machine, and offer a pacifier so he has things to remind him it is time for sleep, and has access to something that can soothe him. Although he has generally refused a pacifier, I still offer it since he does play with it and occasionally puts it in his mouth. I like the nested bean sleep sack since it is slightly weighted and it gives him something to kick his feet against, which he usually does as he self- soothes.
4 ) Consistent sleep space most of the time
For most naps, my baby sleeps in the crib in his nursery, and it is where he sleeps best. I look at the consistent sleep space recommendation the same way as how it is suggested students study for a test in the same room they will take the test. The rationale being the environmental cues and context will help the brain catch on to what it should be doing (going to sleep!). My baby definitely gets his best sleep in his room, but of course sometimes we do naps in the car on the go.
Hopefully having a deeper understanding about the connection between executive function, sleep environment, and routines motivates you to stay consistent in your efforts if you have these things in place already, because even if it might not seem like it sometimes, your efforts are worth it! But also, stay continue to be mindful of the other elements of healthy sleep such as nutrition, and following awake windows, as they are key to a healthy sleep foundation.
And do not hesitate to reach out for guidance if you find you have all of these pieces in place and could use some help with sleep troubleshooting, or if you do not have these things in place and are not sure where to start—we can help you with that too! We offer 1:1 consultations, group sleep training, virtual classes and more.
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Sources:
Perone, S., Simmering, V. R., & Buss, A. T. (2021). A Dynamical Reconceptualization of Executive-Function Development. Perspectives on Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620966792
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691620966792
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Five ways to establish a bedtime routine