Do you have a FOMO Baby?
FOMO stands for "Fear of Missing Out".
It describes the feeling of fear or anxiety about missing out on exciting or important events or experiences. It is a term often used in connection with social media and modern technology, where people can see other people's activities and events. Therefore, we usually use it in connection with young people and adults who come to experience pressure or dissatisfaction with their own situation as a result.
But I actually think the concept can also be great to use for small children who are afraid of missing out on all the fun in life. It's not a disease. It's not a diagnosis. But some people and some children are more prone to FOMO than others. I almost think I can see it in the children who easily fall into this category. They are often very attentive. Follow everything. Want to be where there is celebration and color, people and interaction. They are happy to miss out on basic elements like food and sleep so as not to miss out on life. It doesn't have to be a problem. In many ways, it is a gift to be a parent of children with this huge desire to be there, where it happens all the time. But it is also a task. My clear experience is that these children (and adults) are a bit difficult to read. They hide signs of fatigue better and almost get bigger eyes when the sleep pressure increases.
It's a gift in many ways to be a parent of children with this huge desire to be there, where it happens all the time. But it's also a task.
Children of different ages and stages experience and express experiences differently. Some get excited, others get frustrated or sad. I have a few different pieces of advice for families who find it challenging to convince their little one that sleep is not just a passing fancy, but actually an important part of life. It can almost seem provocative if someone says “ you should just put her to sleep when she seems tired ” or “ he doesn’t look tired at all ”.
"It can almost seem provocative if someone says, ' You should just put her to sleep when she seems tired ' or ' He doesn't look tired at all' ."
It might be a good idea to look at the clock a little more than at signs of fatigue in these children. I have often heard parents describe that the line between being fresh and overtired is incredibly thin. As if the period of time when the child is “enough” tired simply does not exist. For children over one year old, it can be a good rule of thumb to make sure that the sleep need and wakefulness need match the child’s age and then go for fixed bedtimes so that the circadian rhythm becomes strong. With very young children, it is more about the waking time per time. matching the child’s age and needs.
For children who sleep in their own room, it can be nice to separate the sleeping area and the play area from each other. This can be done by having a partition or a curtain that screens off all the impressions that invite play. I think sometimes we parents, in our eagerness to make the sleeping area something cozy, take the entire play station with us into bed. It's like me telling you as an adult that you need to sleep and then putting on the new Ryan Gosling movie that you are NOT allowed to watch or follow... impossible, right?
If the child has difficulty falling asleep, try reducing the number of teddy bears and colors the child can look at.
I think sometimes we parents, in our eagerness to make the sleeping area cozy, end up bringing the entire play station into the bed. It's like me telling you as an adult that you need to go to sleep and then putting on the new Ryan Gosling movie that you are NOT allowed to watch or follow... impossible, right?
We know from adults that the more exciting and the more colorful something is, the more we want to look at it. There is some evidence that more dopamine is produced, which rewards the brain. And then it is harder to let go. Think about using bedding , bed skirts and wallpaper without too much frills. If possible, just choose plain colored textiles.
Darkness also helps to “turn off” all the fun. The darker the better. Get some really solid blackout curtains so that daylight can be shut out at night.
By Karen Kildahl, co-founder of " Center for Children and Youth Sleep " as well as sleep specialist, child health counselor and midwife.
