Sleepless in America: Is Your Child Misbehaving...or Missing Sleep? [Paperback]

Mary Sheedy Kurcinka (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 2, 2007

Does your child

• Refuse to cooperate in the morning?
• Get into trouble for not listening?
• "Lose it" over seemingly insignificant issues?
• Seem to resist sleep?

An estimated 69 percent of American infants, children, and teens are sleep deprived. Studies have shown that sleep deficits can contribute to hyperactivity, distraction, forgetfulness, learning problems, illness, accidents, and disruptive behaviors. Often what our misbehaving kids really need isn't more "consequences" or more medication but more sleep.

Sleepless in America offers weary and frustrated parents a helping hand and an exciting new approach to managing challenging behaviors by integrating research on stress, sleep, and temperament with practical strategies and a five-step approach that enables parents to help their "tired and wired" children get the sleep they so desperately need.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kurcinka (Raising Your Spirited Child) recasts misbehaving children as children missing sleep (and thus, children who can be helped sans drugs and punishment) in this treatise on the manifold virtues of a good night's sleep. "Sound sleep is the foundation of good behavior," Kurcinka says, warning parents that temper tantrums, irritability, screaming-bed-jumping-freak-outs and other unwanted behaviors can be scaled back dramatically if parents ensure their kids get enough sleep-something admittedly easier written about than done. Using advice and case studies from many of the parents who have participated in her workshops, Kurcinka provides insights into why kids do not go to sleep (an imbalance of "calm energy" and "tense energy" is one theory) as well as how parents' fatigue can affect their children. She advocates tension management as a way to foster good sleeping habits and includes how-to regimens to establish bed-time routines tailored to individual children's needs. She also helps parents reset their kids' (from infants to teenagers) body clocks to avoid sleepless nights and the morning battles, stress and school bus scramble.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“A well-written, comprehensive, and above all loving and positive approach to understanding that oh-so challenging child.” (Evonne Weinhaus and Karen Friedman, authors of Stop Struggling with Your Child and Stop Struggling with Your Teen )

“Mary Sheedy Kurcinka’s Sleepless in America has some of the best tips for sleepy families.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (January 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006073602X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060736026
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 4.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diseases & Physical Ailments > Sleep Disorders

More About the Author

Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, M.A.,has more than twenty years' experience as a pioneer and award-winning educator in Minnesota's Early Childhood Family Education Program, and she is the founder of the Spirited Child workshops. A license teacher and parent educator, she lives with her husband and two children in Eagan, Minnesota.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sleepless in America April 24, 2006

By Robert E. Cardwell

Format:Hardcover

I have been working with young children and their families for over 20 years and am pleased that there is finally a book that clearly illustrates the link between childrens misbehavior and the lack of sleep. Our kids are crying out for more rest but often our busy lives keep us from noticing these behaviors. I have read every other book this author has written and would read more if she had another. She gives us time tested strategies and tools, easy and simply explained ideas to implement a positive sleep environment all day long. She shares humorous and real life stories from the hundreds of parents she has worked with. Filling in the sleep chart has been extremely insightful. I also found the red zone/green zone information helpful in quickly assessing all family members levels of tension. I am so glad someone finally has written a friendly, helpful, humorous book on sleep that doesn't encourage kids crying it out or abandoning our young children at night. Instead, she gives us tools to use all day long to make nap time and bedtime rewarding and peaceful for everyone. Parents will read this book and know they are doing a great job!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Practical Resource to Help Families Sleep! April 27, 2006

By Mom of 3 great boys

Format:Hardcover

I highly recommend this book to parents with children of all ages! It's truly transformed our nights (and days!) from one of bedtime and wake up battles to one where peace prevails most of the day and bedtime has become a positive time to connect:) The book is written in a style that is easy, quick, and enjoyable to read and is full of practical tips, assessments, and advice. I'm a Mom of two active school-age boys and an infant son and have found this book EXTREMELY helpful and practical for all 3 of them (and surprisingly me, too!). Little did I know that my 8-year-old who was arguing through his day, melting down through homework and dinner, yet seemed full of energy at night-was actually so exhausted from the school, sport, and activity schedules we were keeping that he was barely functioning! With the step-wise, practical, witty advice in this book, I was able to make some minor changes in our routines and adjust a few decisions which have yielded GREAT results in a short time. He's much happier throughout the day because he's sleeping better and more regularly. The author guides us to determine what works best for our own family, then shows us HOW to implement her step-wise approach to sleep, and to avoid undermining our own efforts with decisions we make during the day! There's a great section detailing how different temperament traits affect sleep-a MUST READ for parents of spirited children. It also provided great recommendations for helping our infant son to sleep without watching a timer while he cried! Plus sections on time changes, vacations, holidays... Finally, a truly definitive resource on helping families to sleep!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars serenity prayer for sleep-deprived parents May 11, 2006

By Reader

Format:Hardcover

This book is a great resource for parents who are struggling to get their kids to sleep each night. The advice is pratical, specific and can be customized to fit each family. I like the anecdotal writing style and I love Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's tone--she challenges parents to become more present to their children while never making us feel bad about where we're at. She consistently writes with humility, compassion, candor and grace.