We all know how important a good night’s sleep is especially to growing children; quality sleep can help children to better focus on learning new skills and maintaining a stable mood.
Parenting on Female First
Sleep experts suggest that primary school aged children should get 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night. According to a new study, twenty-seven minutes is how much extra sleep children this age need per night to be brighter and more productive the following day. Experts also say that pre-school aged children should sleep about 11 to 13 hours a night.
With help from BootsWebMD.com, you can find out more about helping your kids wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next day. Try some of these methods which may help you to look forward to silent nights this winter:
1. A good sleeping environment: Ideally the bedroom should be dark, quiet, comfortable and tidy to encourage relaxation.
2. Get the temperature right: Did you know there is an ideal temperature to encourage sleep? This should be neither too hot nor too cold – between 18 and 24°C is about right.
3. No more naps: Napping during the day may create difficulty in night-time sleeping.
4. Start the bedtime routine earlier: Telling young kids that bedtime is earlier is a hard sell so start getting them ready around 30 minutes earlier. This includes brushing teeth and reading a book to or with your child.
5. Identify and address key stressors: For example, additional homework, problems with friends, or a move to a new house or school, can all cause night-time anxiety.
6. Keep a sleep diary: If you are worried about your child’s sleep, starting a sleep diary can help you keep track of any challenges and will also help your GP should you seek medical advice.
You can also find a children’s sleep disorder guide, sleep slideshows and useful facts and information on healthy sleeping and developing positive bedtime routines on BootsWebMD.com.
For more information on how to help your child sleep better, visit the BootsWebMD.com Children’s and Parenting Health and Sleep Disorder Centres, which include a range of articles and topics on helping encourage good sleep patterns in children.