How Children’s Bedtimes Differ Around the World
The importance of sleep for our health is universal, but the way families set up bedtimes varies greatly across cultures. Some countries follow strict routines, while others value flexibility and communal rest. By exploring bedtime practices around the world, we can learn from different approaches and find out what works best for us.
There are many similarities in parenting practices around the world. However, some are different based on where you live.
Breastfeeding, for example. Another example is sleep. In Australia, babies and sleep are a multi-million dollar industry. We tend to have a particular way of thinking about our children’s sleep. They get their own space with matching bedding and a cute phone. Once your baby is born, you’ll want to make sure she sleeps through the night.
What is sleep like in different parts of the globe? What’s their opinion? What do other cultures do when it comes to kids’ bedtimes? Here we are understanding how other cultures handle bedtime, which can offer helpful insights into your own family’s routine.
Sleeping habits of children around the world
You’re not the only one who has been told there’s a “one size fits all” method to get your baby to fall asleep. This is a very common belief, especially among non-parents! If your baby doesn’t sleep well, you are not following the magic formula that will get all babies to fall asleep.
The “one correct way” will vary from person to person. One person might tell you to introduce solids to your baby early. Another person may swear by massages at bedtime. A third person might say that a bath followed by a bedtime story is the best way to get a baby to fall asleep.
It’s fascinating to see what people are doing in different parts of the globe, as it shows that sleeping habits and methods for getting babies to sleep are not universal.
In a study of nearly 30,000 families around the world, sleep patterns for infants and toddlers varied widely. They ranged from 12.9 hours per day in the United States to 13.3 hours per day in New Zealand and only 11.6 hours a day in Japan.
How Do Parents Worldwide Tackle Bedtime?
The numbers are almost as varied as the places where children sleep when it comes to deciding what time parents will send their kids to Dreamland.
What is the bedtime of your child? Your child’s bedtime is likely different from your neighbour’s or your child’s classmates in pre-k. Or even your best friend’s baby. It’s not the same as children in other countries. It’s probably not. It’s important to get your child ready for bed. Your world can be turned upside down if your child refuses to go to bed, struggles to fall asleep, or rebels. You may be surprised at how much importance parents place on bedtime.
The differences in sleep patterns between cultures and countries are not limited to children’s bedtimes. Bedtimes are not the same around the world. Many families sleep together, or children are sleeping in a place of convenience rather than in their room.
The numbers vary almost as much in terms of the times parents send their kids to sleep as they do the places where they sleep. In a 2010 study, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, it was found that bedtimes vary from New Zealand at 7:28 pm to Hong Kong at 10:17 pm.
It’s not surprising that parents can be frustrated by the nighttime antics of their children, given how different they are in terms of where and when they sleep. This is not just true for parents with babies or young children. Shutting kids off to sleep becomes more difficult as they age and use digital devices such as smartphones. Researchers have also found that using electronic devices before bed is associated with poor sleep quality, decreased sleep time, fatigue, and even a higher BMI (for children who used their cell phones or watched TV before going to bed).
Japan
Families in Japan tend to sleep together. Babies co-sleep with their parents until the next child arrives. Even then, it is common for the first child to share a bed with another member of the family until they reach the age of 10. It is not to save space but to promote the well-being and safety of children. In Japan, SIDS rates are among the lowest in the entire world, even though bed sharing and breastfeeding have been increasing.
Scandinavia
Many Scandinavian countries, such as Finland and Sweden, wrap their babies in before putting them in prams to nap in the fresh air. Health organisations promote this as the best way to get babies to sleep. Another practice that is used to put babies to sleep is ‘buffing.’ This involves patting their bottoms in a rhythmic, firm manner. It is believed that this practice uses motion and vibrations to mimic similar sensations within the womb.
Africa
African tribes are not accustomed to routine and do not worry too much about sleep. Their experience has shown that babies do not need to be woken up in the middle of the night. Instead, their mothers will sleep next to them and meet their needs all night. In some tribes, sleeping is a communal activity where large groups of people gather together to take a nap. There are no rules about when and where sleep can occur.
Spain
Spanish parents are a bit lax when it comes down to bedtimes. Many children don’t go to sleep until after 10 pm. Families are more concerned about spending time with each other and
socialising with their children. This is when the afternoon siesta was invented… so that everyone could catch up on sleep.
France
You may have heard that French babies are perfectly behaved from the first day. French families use the sleep-training method, which involves letting their babies cry for a few minutes to determine if they require comforting before jumping in. The relaxed approach continues as the child gets older. Children often go to bed at the same time as their parents.
Egypt
Egyptian families often sleep with four or more family members. Due to the heat, it is customary to keep a window wide open so that the sounds of the streets can help everyone fall asleep. If you’re wondering what they do to sleep so well, it’s simple. Egyptians are said to enjoy a quick burst of sleeping overnight and then a nap the next morning.
Australia
We have the earliest bedtimes around the globe! It’s also been noted that we have government-subsidised sleep centres to help us implement sleep routines for our babies, which may seem very strange to countries like Africa and Japan! In the U.S., the focus on routine is similar for both babies and sleeping. The bedtime ritual is an integral part of every day.
Afghanistan
In the U.S., Australia, and other countries with a large Muslim population, children are often put to bed early. However, in Muslim-majority countries, the bedtimes are arranged according to prayer times, which take place at night and sunset. In Afghanistan, the typical bedroom is a shared space that everyone uses. It must be set up every night before it can be put away in the morning.
Differences in Culture and Baby Sleep
Bedtime
We’ve discovered that bedtimes vary greatly between countries. In the U.S., it is common to put children to sleep early, around 7:00, 8:00, or sometimes even 6:00, as per Weissbluth. Our American clients often view bedtimes as “fixed,” that is to say, they happen at the same time each night.
Compare this to some of our European or Asian clients who regularly put their babies and young toddlers to sleep “lately”—at” around 10 or 11. These clients told us that in their country, late bedtimes were common. Parents wanted to spend more time with their children after work so they pushed bedtime back. This can also mean that bedtimes are less set and more flexible. In some countries, the idea that bedtime must (or should) be the same every night is not as common as in the U.S.
Co-Sleeping
In the West, sharing a bed with a child is not the norm. In the West, babies usually sleep in cribs in a separate room. In the first six months, room-sharing is popular. However, other forms of cosleeping, such as long-term cosleeping or bed-sharing, are rare among Western mothers.
This is not the case in all countries. In many countries, for example, parents and their children will share a bed for years. In many Asian countries, babies share a bed with their parents up until they are toddlers. At that time, they will move into their bed, near their parent’s bed.
In some countries, it’s common to put your baby in bed with an extended family member. This is especially true in countries where living under one roof with extended family is common.
Schedules and Naps
Many parents in the U.S. and other Western countries work hard to establish a regular, predictable schedule for their children. There’s much to be said about establishing a schedule. It can help regulate a baby’s naptime sleep and even sleep at night.
We’ve noticed that parents in other countries have a more relaxed mentality about schedules. It’s not uncommon for a baby’s schedule to change from day to day in these countries. It’s okay for babies to take naps on the move while their parents are running errands or out with friends.
