While you might be able to get your own sleep ritual under control, it goes without saying that sleep and children aren't always immediate best friends. While they might insist otherwise, kids need sleep - we know this, because they turn inhuman without it!
With school holidays upon us, here are a few ways you can ensure your little one is getting a proper night's rest so they can enjoy all the benefits (and let's face it, life's also better when for you when your kids are well rested).
Implement A Regular Wake Up Time
Making sure that they get up at the same time each day, even at the weekends, is the easiest way to get them into a proper sleep ritual. Having a regular wake up time is important in order to strengthen your child’s body clock.
If you're on school holidays, this doesn’t have to be as early as it is during term-time, but making sure it is consistent is key.
Have A "No Screens" Rule Before Bed Rule
A fact that will have teenagers across the world groaning - no screens before bed. It's been scientifically proven that screen time is detrimental to the quality of everyone's sleep - but this is especially true for children. Screens interrupt our production of melatonin, which is an essential hormone for sleep.
Create A Consistent Bedtime Routine
As we mentioned earlier, sleep rituals are important not just for you, but for your kids as well. Doing specific things before bed, such as a bath or story time, signal to your child what’s coming next. Knowing what comes next is comforting and relaxing, setting the perfect bedtime atmosphere. Before long, your child’s body may automatically start to become sleepy at the beginning of their routine.
Create A Safe Sleep Space
While a stuffed animal can make it easier for your child to sleep, too many toys can make it harder. Soft sheets, room-darkening shades, and relative quiet can help your child differentiate between day and night, making it easier to fall asleep.
Some things to keep in mind:
Australia's Sleep Health Foundation recommends:
- Children aged 6-13 years-old have 9-11 hours sleep a night;
- Those aged 14-17 years-old have 8-10 hours.
But it also recommends against getting less than 7 hours or more than 11-12 hours a night:
- On average children in the survey reported they were getting 9.5 hours sleep a night;
- 4 percent reported getting less than 7 hours a night.
If you're looking for more elements to add into your child's bed time routine, try our Mind Time Kit for children.
The Goodnight Co. Mind Time for Kids Kit gives you the tools to create a variety of meditation experiences with your children. There are believed to be several benefits to meditation for kids such as assisting with relaxation, improved memory, greater creativity, supporting healthy emotional development as well as reaching their full potential!
