Introduction: Sleeping is an important physiological process, whose purpose has not yet been completely determined; however, it is known that sleeping is vital for a child’s healthy growth and development. Healthy sleep enables us to normally undertake every-day activities and contributes to physical and mental health. Purpose: We sought to determine how important sleeping is for a child’s development, whether the children get enough sleep, what sleeping habits they have, if parents notice problems in their children’s sensory processing of stimuli when they are asleep, and how sleeping can be improved. Work methods: With the help of a literature review, we prepared a survey. A pilot study was conducted and the survey was published. Our target group were parents or guardians of children aged under 18. Results: The survey was completed by 67 parents. Under the purpose we broke down the results into two groups based on the answers by parents of children under age of 5 and by parents of children aged between 6 and 12. We determined that children included in this study do not have enough sleep appropriate for their age even thought their parents think there children have enough sleep. Some of the reasons for the lack of sleep in pre-schoolers and pupils is the resistance to go to bed in the evening, unlimited use of electronic devices and waking up during the night. What is more, we also determined that most children have a bedtime schedule and a bedtime routine. The results have shown that, according to the parents, many children face problems in processing hearing and proprioceptive sensory stimuli. Discussion and conclusion: Sleeping is vital for a child’s development as our memory is preserved and consolidated and concentration improves during sleep; moreover, sleeping affects our mood and physical development. Children do not get enough sleep, which may deteriorate their healthy development and growth. However, we ought to have conducted a more detailed study on sensory integration to be able to claim that children, whose parents notice discrepancies in their processing of proprioceptive and hearing stimuli, face problems. To improve sleeping, it is recommended for children to have a set time of when to go to bed and a bedtime routine, to relax and feel comfortable and safe before sleeping and to be independent during sleeping.
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