Many parents struggle with putting their children to sleep. If you’re a parent, you’re likely familiar with how challenging it can be. Children prefer staying up to going to sleep. They don’t understand the significance … Read more
Many parents struggle with putting their children to sleep. If you’re a parent, you’re likely familiar with how challenging it can be. Children prefer staying up to going to sleep. They don’t understand the significance of getting ample sleep throughout the night.
As a parent, you should know that babies, children, and teenagers need more sleep than we do. They need a proper amount of sleep as it is essential to their rapid mental and physical development. Most parents know that kids need more good sleep, but they usually don’t know how much. The duration of the rest that children should get during the night depends on the age:
If you want to help your child to go to sleep, it is essential to establish a sleep routine. If they have a pattern before going to bed, it can help their minds to realize that it is time to sleep. This pattern should include things like a dinner, a bath, teeth brushing, and a bedtime story. Also, your kid should go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
You should know that having dinner close to bedtime can keep your kids up. Dinner should be at least a couple of hours before the bedtime. However, if your kids are still hungry before going to bed, you can prepare a light evening snack that will keep them fueled until they wake up. For example, they can have fruits, peanut butter, or milk with cereals. Just stay away from excess sugar and caffeine.
Your kid’s bedroom should be cozy and comfortable. If the temperature in this room is too cold or too hot, your child can have problems falling asleep and staying asleep. It should also be dark, but if your kids are afraid of the dark, you can always turn on a nightlight, or leave the door opened and the hall light on.
It is much easier to sleep without noise. Kids need quiet so that they can fall asleep faster. Make sure to keep the noise to a minimum after the bedtime. Otherwise, they will be sleep-deprived, and it won’t do them any good.
Every child needs to be comfortable while sleeping. It means that they should sleep on a suitable bed and a comfortable mattress. If your kid is growing too fast, you should make sure that his or her bed is the right size. If they have outgrown it, and it is too small for them, you should get a new one. The same applies for a mattress – if it is old and uncomfortable, you should buy a new one as soon as you can. These things are essential if you want your kid to get well-rested while sleeping.
If you want your kids to get properly rested during the night, it would be the best idea not to add laptops, tablets, and TVs to their bedroom. Bedrooms are meant for getting enough sleep without any distractions. If you add a TV, your children will watch movies during the night, instead of resting.
Co-founder of Counting Sheep and Sleepaholic