Parents, do you wonder if your child is getting enough sleep? Studies recommend that primary schoolchildren should get at least 10 hours nightly, while kids between the ages of 10 and 17 should aim for eight to nine hours.
The right amount of sleep is important for young humans. If they don’t sleep enough, it can impact them in ways parents will surely notice – and have probably already experienced; from falling behind in school and behavioral issues, to being more at risk of obesity and illness.
It might not be your child’s fault if they don’t get enough rest. Factors that affect their sleep include medicines, sleep apnoea, snoring, nasal congestion… the same factors that generally affect adults, too.
There is an even greater challenge if you have teenagers, as any parent of teens knows they typically come to life at night and prefer to sleep during the day. Thankfully, there are measures that can be taken to ensure your child gets sufficient shut-eye at night, regardless of whether they are in their troublesome teen years or younger.
1. Pick a bedtime and stick with it
Get your child to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time every morning, so their bodies will get used to it.
Even on the weekends, make sure they go to bed within an hour of bedtime and don’t sleep in for more than an hour or two – though good luck with teenagers!
2. Get a routine
Help your child to relax about an hour to 90 minutes before bedtime. By carrying out the same routine every night, their brains will hopefully figure out that bedtime is imminent.
Change into sleepwear. If they like to shower or bathe at night, this is the time to do it. The water should be as warm or hot as they like it, but not cold as this will wake them up.
Get them to stop texting and turn off their computer, devices and television as these will only keep them awake.
3. Skip the caffeine
Parents should ensure their children have a proper study schedule so they don‘t pull late-nighters. Drinking caffeinated beverages like soft drinks or coffee too close to bedtime will keep them awake for hours, and their productivity and concentration the next day will suffer.
Researchers from Berkeley University observed that pulling an all-nighter during finals or midterms lowers the brain’s capability to read new things by approximately 40%, while the subsequent sleep deprivation shuts down some regions of brain functioning.
4. Create the right conditions
Most people sleep adequately in a cool, dark room. Shut the blinds and curtains in your child’s bedroom and, if you can control the temperature, lower it slightly or turn on the fan. If they feel cold, adjust the temperature or get them to burrow snugly under a blanket.
Keep the television off as excess noise can disrupt sleep. If your kids need some background noise, stick with light, soothing music, white noise, or the sounds of nature.
This article first appeared in The New Savvy.
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