Kids often have trouble sleeping as they’re going through changes. While little ones struggle with pain from their growing teeth, others are starting to stay up late and messing up with their regular schedule. According to research, about 30 to 40 per cent of children and adolescents in Canada are not sleeping well, leading to difficulties in staying awake during the day ad concentrating. Unfortunately, they’re unaware of the consequences of lack of sleep, which is why sometimes their emotions can lead to an inadequate sleep pattern.
It’s already common that adults don’t sleep enough, which is usually caused by work stress and other factors that make it even harder to fall asleep. However, our kids should know how to control their sleep behaviours, which is why you, as a parent, can guide them towards a better life and enough sleep. Here’s how.
Set up a routine
Routine is what kids dislike the most, especially if you’re reinforcing them. You probably already know that children will do anything to stay away from conventions and “adult things” because they limit their creativity and don’t allow for enough playtime.
But helping them set up a routine and respecting it every day and night will help them find enough time for each of their preferred activities. Although you may not always be next to them to remind them of bedtime, you can try making it fun and ensuring they’re always going to sleep at the same hour. You can do this by making things fun, such as running together after getting home or watching something entertaining. Anything that keeps them engaged and not bored will eventually tire them, and they’ll have no problem falling asleep.
Help them relax before bedtime
Oftentimes, the reason why your kids don’t fall asleep is that they worry about something. It may be school or something their friends have said, but if they’re bothered by it, your kids will try to occupy their thoughts by playing games or watching something on the TV.
But instead of doing so, other activities will help them relax and be ready for bed after getting things off their mind. It’s necessary that you guide them, which is why you can try meditating along with them or simply having a friendly conversation to learn what makes them sad or worried. If you’re open and receptive, your children will tell you anything and get things off their chest, which will contribute to a good night’s sleep.
Other relaxing activities you can approach are reading them a book if you have little kids or they simply like it. If they can read, you can take turns and follow the storyline together to make things fun. Finally, don’t worry if things don’t go as planned and they still have energy because it might take some time for them to get used to the new activity.
Redesign their environment
Another underrated reason why kids struggle with falling asleep at night is the condition of their room. If it’s too hot or cold, or if the lights bother them, having a routine and even relaxing won’t help them get their necessary hours of sleep. At the same time, the air quality also matters, especially if they’re prone to allergies.
So, to design the perfect environment for them, here’s what you can do:
- Provide enough natural lighting during the day, but make your kid’s bedroom darker at night;
- Avoid installing a TV or having other screens around the room because blue light can interfere with sleep patterns;
- Install an air humidifier in your kids’ room because it helps with nasal congestion and dry skin;
- Make their bed as comfy as possible with qualitative bedsheets. At the same time, you can get them bamboo pajamas babyjammers that are moisture-wicking are ultra-soft;
Watch their alimentation
Although giving them something sweet when they’re having a tantrum is easy, it’s best to avoid chocolate or other ailments with caffeine in the afternoon. You can give them sweets in the morning, but avoid coffee, energy drinks and cola in the late afternoon and evening.
Besides these things, try not to serve dinner too late as their bodies might be unable to digest foods so late at night, making them fall asleep harder. At the same time, it’s best for your kid to eat nutritious foods and less processed meals because not only they’re not healthy for the body, but they also interfere with sleep.
Some examples of the best foods for your children include some of the following:
- Protein: lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas;
- Fruits and vegetables: as many and diversified as possible;
- Grains: oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa;
- Dairy: milk, yoghurt, cheese and fortified soy beverages;
When should you visit the doctor?
In some cases, the tips presented above are not enough for your kid to have healthy sleep behaviour. Therefore, you might need to make an appointment with your doctor and assess the problem if:
- Your kid struggles to fall asleep for more than two weeks;
- Your child breathes loudly or snores, which wakes them up;
- They are drowsy during the day, and the lack of sleep affects their eating habits and their academic performance;
- They’re having nightmares too often;
- They’re too stressed about something;
Besides seeing a doctor, you may also want to take your kid to a psychologist or neurologist if the issues are more complex. That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with your child, but they need professional support and guidance. You also, as a parent, may need to change some of your behaviours and traits to help your kid live a healthy life.
Bottom line
People generally suffer from a lack of sleep, especially adults. But this starts to form during younger years, which is why you want to help them avoid getting into the habit of sleeping fewer hours than necessary or going to sleep late at night. Hopefully, the tips presented will help you and your child.
