Please welcome Sean Morris.
How to Maintain Healthy Sleep Habits in
Kids
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| Image from Pixaby via RachelBostwick |
Making sure your kids get enough sleep each night is hard
enough during the school year, let alone the summer months when there’s no
school schedule to keep. Kids are often convinced that all the good stuff happens
after they’re in bed and try every tactic in the book to convince their parents
that they’re old enough to stay up later and function on less sleep. Parents,
however, know just how important sleep is to not only prevent a case of
crankiness but also to help their children function at their best throughout
the day.
But how are you supposed to compete with long summer days and
no consequences for waking up late? The key is to cultivate a healthy sleep
schedule and nightly routine so that your children, regardless of season, will
feel tired when they should be going to bed. Here are a few ways to cultivate
those beneficial sleep habits in children.
Make the Bedroom About Sleep
Set up the room with a good mattress and comfy bedding that
make going to bed seem fun and enjoyable. It might help to let your child help
pick out bedding. You may also invest in blackout curtains for the long summer
days, making it easier for the child to accept that night has fallen, and it’s
time to sleep.
It is also best to limit bedroom activities. If the child associates the room with playing and being
active, it will be more difficult for them to use the same space to sleep and
wind down.
Monitor Evening Foods and Drinks
Certain foods and drinks are commonly known to increase energy
levels and make sleep difficult. Sugars, caffeine, and empty carbs are the
typical items to avoid in the evening. However, other foods and drinks can actually cause sleepiness, making
them an ideal evening snack to prompt your child’s natural bedtime.
Cherries and cherry juice have a high natural occurrence of
melatonin, the chemical your brain produces for sleep. These can make for a
great natural sleep aid. Bananas are also great because they are high in
magnesium and potassium (also good for sleep) dairy products. A common cause of
insomnia is calcium deficiency, making a calcium-rich snack ideal for evenings.
Select Evening Activities Wisely
While many activities can cause hyperactivity and excitement,
it can be extremely beneficial to wear your children out before putting them to
bed. A family exercise such as hiking, bike rides, or even family
yoga can be the perfect way to guarantee your child is ready for bed
on time. This also has the added advantage of keeping summer fun despite a
responsible sleep schedule.
If the family is unable to go out,
you can also consider relaxing, quiet activities before bed such as crafting, coloring, or reading. Avoid movies or screens, as the light
can keep kids awake.
Keeping your kids on a good schedule
during the lazy, dog days of summer does not have to be a battle. You can use
food and exercise (and maybe some colorful sheets!) to help establish a routine
and improve your family’s health habits. It’s about training your kids to make
good choices for their health because they want to, not forcing them to follow
healthy habits that you dictate.
Sean Morris is
a
former social worker turned stay-at-home dad. He knows what it’s like to juggle
family and career. He did it for years until deciding to become a stay-at-home
dad after the birth of his son. Though he loved his career in social work, he
has found this additional time with his kids to be the most rewarding
experience of his life. He began writing for LearnFit.org to share his
experiences and to help guide anyone struggling to find the best path for their
life, career, and/or family.
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