Sleep has been the best friend of humanity for ages. After all, it is the only brief respite from life after a hard day’s work. Though your children may not share these sentiments yet, they must inculcate healthy bedtime habits and a good sleeping schedule. Since sleep not only rejuvenates our mind, body, and soul but also aids in various bodily functions and repairs, your children must have adequate amounts of it in life.
Excessive or too little sleep can give rise to a variety of health issues in kids that may soon invite diseases. And when your children cannot sleep, neither can you. Instead of letting bedtime become a war zone, it is ideal to stick to a healthy sleeping schedule daily. But how to maintain a healthy bedtime in younger kids who have just gotten used to sleeping soundly at night? Here are some top tips for maintaining the same and developing good bedtime habits in your kids.
Since school kids need between 9 to 11 hours of sleep every night, it is important to figure out their sleep patterns and set a bedtime suitable for them. You may be an early riser, but if your kid’s body is set on ‘night owl’ mode, they will not sync and create chaos instead. Therefore, parents need to identify their kid’s sleeping patterns and set a good individual bedtime for them.
A bedtime routine is the smartest way of setting your kid a healthy bedtime and ensuring they stick to it. Humans are creatures of comfort and habit. If your kid enjoys dinner, a bath, or a bedtime story, and then prefers sleeping, maintain it every day. Once your younger kid is accustomed to the routine, their body will begin to relax from the beginning of the routine and end up falling asleep the moment their head hits the pillow.
According to your kid’s sleep requirement and daily engagements, set a wake-up time. And stick to it, unless sick or in any emergency. Even on weekends, vacations, and holidays, your kid’s wake o’clock should not change much, maybe an hour or so. And beginning this good habit as early as pre-school is ideal, as it takes time and dedication to maintain a wake-up time. But it is worth the time and energy for their healthy future.
It is ideal to detox from all digital devices at least an hour or two before bed, otherwise, melatonin secretion may get hampered. This will cause anxiety, racing thoughts, and sleeplessness in kids and adults. Keep your phones, tablets, and laptops away. Not films, cartoons, or series, read to your kid daily before bed, and watch them thrive and bloom while getting adequate sleep.
Practice mindfulness, aka enter a state of deep breathing and relaxation, in which you vocally instruct your kid. They keep their eyes shut, breathe, and follow what you say, from relaxing a particular muscle mindfully to focusing only on their breathing. This helps declutter their minds and has your kids drop off to sleep in no mind. After helping them with it, explain these concepts the following day to ensure they understand and help themselves as they grow up. You will be there for them, but they need to learn to be there for themselves as grown-ups from now on.
Address your child’s fear without dismissing them as irrational. Also, mentally set aside extra time for this either before bed or tell them to discuss this further the next day. As children are very smart, they might try to take advantage and delay bedtime. There might be something on their mind, or there might be a real ghost. Either way, your kid will sleep well only if you sort out what scares them.
Do not let your kids nap too frequently or too long. Ideally, a nap of 30 minutes to 1 hour in the late afternoon is good for young kids. Especially after surviving school and lessons. But if your kid finds it difficult to fall asleep, maintain a significant gap between nap time and bedtime, and if required, reduce the duration of naps. Naps refresh your kids; proper sleep refuels them.
Making young kids fall asleep is easier said than done. Especially with the advent of modern technology, gadgets, and distractions. However, you must ensure reels and snaps on social media do not snatch away sleep from your child’s eyes. Do not let your kids overstuff themselves at dinner, as a bloated belly can also cause sleeping issues in kids. It is ideal to follow these top tips to maintain a healthy bedtime for younger kids and see the wonderful result.