5 Tips On How To Help Kids To Have A Better Sleep
Have you noticed that you often have a more miserable day with less motivation and energy level after a fussy night sleep. A low quality sleep or not enough sleep time usually can affect our daily functions in many different aspects: difficulties in concentration and memory, fatigue and lack of motivation, higher tendency of being irritated and depressed. Babies and children suffer from the same consequence when they fail to have enough sleep, and the quality of sleep is essential to their mental and physical development. Studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can lead to high blood pressure, obesity and even depression (Rachel Dawkins, M.D., at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital).
The chart below from National Sleep Foundation shows how much sleep on average is needed people of different age during a 24-hour period.
Some babies and children are champion sleepers while some may need our assistance to get into a good sleep routine. Here are some tips we can do as parents to help our little ones to have a better sleep at night.
- KEEP A REGULAR SLEEP AND WAKE UP TIME
Set up a bed time and wake up time, then stick with this schedule. This helps setting a biological clock for kids and makes it easier for kids to fall asleep and wake up naturally once the biological clock is set. It is especially important for school age kids to have a more regular sleep and wake up time schedule as it can make sure that kids have enough sleep so that they are loaded with energy for all the brain and physical activities in school the next day.
- MINIMIZE SCREEN TIME RIGHT BEFORE BEDTIME
We have to admit that this generation of kids are going to grow up hand in hand with gadgets, screens and games. These are all great tools if we as parents help our kids to use and manage them wisely. The internet and online platforms have been developed so much to assist the school curriculum and explored so many new creative ways of learning. The remote-learning method allows kids to keep learning even when the schools are closed during the pandemic. However, an over extended screen time and long exposure to some highly intensive video games can over stimulate kids brain, increase heart rate and blood pressure. It is harder for kids to calm their mind down and get ready to sleep if they get too much stimulation from cartoons, videos or games.
A good tip is that we do not put TV or computer in kids bedrooms and try minimize the amount of screen time leading towards their bedtime. Instead of watching cartoons or playing games on a tablet, parents can read books, have a fun bedtime conversation or putting some soft music. For babies, it’s great to have a warm bath for their little body to relax and get ready for bed.
- INTRODUCE BEDTIME KIDS YOGA
Yoga is a great exercise for adults and young children. It calms down the mind and relax the body. The breathing method in yoga helps activate our parasympathetic nervous system (the digest and rest) so that our mind and body are ready to rest. It can also be a fun bedtime activity for parents to do with their kids. Sometimes we can even motive our kids to create stories or characters that are inspired by the kids yoga poses. There are some great kids yoga books and our favorite one is called “Good Night Yoga: A Pose-by-Pose Bedtime Story” by Mariam Gates. It’s an easy-to-follow kids yoga book with beautiful illustrations and safe kids yoga poses. Another one that we highly recommend is “The Grateful Giraffe: A Kids Yoga Feelings Book” by Giselle Shardlow, in which kids get to learn about their feelings and emotions through stories around a variety of animals. You can also follow us @alanunucanada to see our kids yoga pose section.
- CREATE A SAFE AND SOUND SLEEPING ENVIRONMENT
When kids are wind down and get ready to sleep, it’s time for us to dim the bedroom light and make sure to lower down the noise around. It’s very common that some kids (actually quite a lot) are afraid of darkness and can’t fall asleep if the room is pitching black. Putting a small night light on the night stand or string some little star light around the ceiling can be a great idea. Some kids sleep better with a calm steady white noise. We find that the crackling sound of the camp fire can be soothing and relaxing. There are lots of apps that provide a wide range of background noise for sleep time. Just keep in mind to have the volume low and not over stimulating.
It is also very important to have healthy bedding and comfortable pajama for kids to sleep in. Good quality bedding made with natural materials can minimize the chance of growing fungi and collecting dust mites, which are the main reason for allergies reactions. Parents also need to pay attention to the temperature-regulating factor of their kids bedding materials. Kids body can not regulate temperature as efficiently as adults, so they might get over heated sleeping in blankets or duvets that are not breathable. In a lot of countries ( UK and China), people use mulberry silk duvet due to the temperature-regulating property and the hypoallergenic factor. A premium quality mulberry silk duvet should be handmade with all natural materials, ultra soft and feathery light, anti-dust mite and chemical free, making it an ideal pick for babies and young children. We might also consider to lower the room temperature down a little during the night.
- KEEP A HEALTHY DIET AND EATING HABIT
We all know that a healthy diet is essential to kids growth but sometimes if hard to keep kids away from snacks and sweets. Try to have dinner early rather than late, so that there’s enough time for kid’s little tummy to digest the food. If they get hungry before bed, offer them with (in small quantity) some nuts or fruit (eg. bananas, strawberries) with yogurt or milk. (PS. Our friend Süki the silkworm sometimes has great recipes of healthy yummy food for babies and kids posted on instagram @alanunucanada.) Avoid desserts or snacks that contains high level of sugar. And don’t forget to remind them to brush their teeth before bed!
We hope these tips can help your little ones to get into a good bedtime routine and have a great night sleep!
Sleep sweet, it’s alanünü time!
Xoxo