Do unschooling parents worry about “adequate sleep”?
Let’s hear from two Seattle area unschooling mothers whose children sleep without scheduled bedtimes. Heather of SwissArmyWife, in “Wise Men Sleep When They Are Tired,” shared her children’s experiences with and without bedtimes. She also discussed the natural circadian rhythms which drive our individual sleep needs and she pointed out that an estimated 75% of Americans experience a sleeping disorder at least a few nights per week, according to the Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit academic medical center. She suggested, based on descriptions of common sleep disorders, that forcing children to bed contributes to or causes the disorders. She also pointed out that forcing a child to sleep does not necessarily force them to get adequate sleep. Heather, who now creates a sleepy atmosphere in the evenings rather than a bedtime, wrote about her son who used to have an enforced bedtime: “He is now recognizing when he is tired and finding the things he needs to have or do for a restful night some
