“I can’t sleep”, “It’s too light”, “It’s too dark”, “I need a drink”, “I need a wee…” The joys of getting children off to sleep. If you’re a parent or carer with small children these sentences are often heard being shouted down the stairs by children long after their bedtime.
Bedtime isn’t only important so parents can relax but school-aged children are recommended to have between 9 and 12 hours of sleep each night. Sleep is imperative for all of us but especially children as it promotes growth, builds immunity, helps the body heal and repairs the body among other things.
So how do you get your precious one off to the land of nod? Establishing a bedtime routine from the start can help children become familiar with the drill. But if you need any pointers here are our top tips:
Wash away the day
A warm bath after dinner is a good way to wash away the dirt and grime of the day and help to kick-start relaxation. According to experts, raising the body’s temperature slightly helps children and adults off to sleep.
Create a bedtime routine
Having a 20-30 minute bedtime routine every night shows your child that it is nearly time for bed. It should include calming activities like reading a book and talking about what happened during their day. The last part should occur in the room where your child sleeps.
Turn off the TV
Like adults, watching TV before bed stimulates a child’s brain so switch off the set and instead curl up with a book. Books offer beautiful bonding time with small children and help them use their imagination. By sharing books with your babies you’ll also help build their love for literacy which hopefully they’ll carry with them for life.
A cosy environment
During the day a child’s room may go through many transformations. One minute it could be a picnic play scene, the next a pirate’s treasure island. No matter what adventures they have been on during the day, at night it should become more tranquil. Dim the light in the room and ensure they have nice soft sheets to snuggle down into.
Additionally, ensure children’s rooms aren’t too hot. Typically, it is better for a room to be slightly cooler to help promote deep sleep.
A light snack
If your child likes milk, why not offer them some warm milk before bed? Milk contains an amino acid which helps the body produce hormones to help with sleep. Another good one is low-fat cheese! Nothing too heavy should be eaten 1-2 hours before bedtime as this could interfere with sleep.
Exercise
Your child should get exercise every day whether it’s playing outside at school or in an after-school club! This should help to tire them out throughout the day leading to an easier bedtime for you!
Spring into bed
Naturally, it’s important to have a comfortable mattress for children to sleep on but are you aware of the importance of having a good back and neck support from a young age? There is a multitude of reasons why proper spine support is essential but the main one is that it reduces pain and thus morning stiffness. If the back and neck are correctly supported from a young age it can help for the rest of their lives with their posture and minimise back problems in the future.
If you are looking for a new bed for a child our friendly team are experts in all the products we stock and know their memory foam from their mohair when it comes to mattresses. View our range of mattresses!
Or pop into one of our stores and a bed specialist will be able to help you find the perfect bed!
