LivingSleep hygiene in children: this way you can encourage...

Sleep hygiene in children: this way you can encourage them to sleep like a little angel

Sleep is essential for the development of our children, as it is at this time that the learning acquired during the day is consolidated . In addition, a good night’s sleep is necessary to be in a good mood and to be 100% prepared for a new day.

“Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.”

-Tom Roth-

However, bedtime for many parents is a real ordeal, and it is very difficult for them to create healthy habits.

If this is your case, don’t worry, here we are going to teach you how to get your child to sleep like a little angel by putting these sleep hygiene habits into practice. Remember that you must adapt them to the age and developmental stage of your child.

Sleep hygiene in children or how to promote restful sleep

Sleep hygiene encompasses all those healthy activities or habits that we must apply in order to have a good night’s sleep; that is, they are measures that promote restful sleep , both in children and adults.

And we know that sleep is of great importance for the optimal development of our little ones (and for us too).

How many hours should children sleep according to age?

Before starting to talk about these measures, it is important that you bear in mind that depending on the age of the children, the number of hours of sleep they need varies:

  • From 4 months to 1 year of age, children require approximately 12 to 16 hours of sleep. This also includes nap time.
  • From 1 year to 2 years old, they need between 11 and 14 hours of sleep, also including the naps they take during the day.
  • From 3 to 5 years old , including naps, children should sleep between 10 and 13 hours a day.
  • From 6 to 9 years old , it is indicated to sleep between 9 and 12 hours.
  • Teenagers require between 8 and 10 hours of sleep.

“The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more.”

-Wilson Mizner-

When it comes to taking care of sleep habits, it is important to take into account how many hours our child should sleep according to their age.

Guidelines to promote sleep in children

If you want to know some sleep hygiene habits, here are some that we know will be of great help:

Keep them active during the day

One of the things that we sometimes do not take into account is the fact that our children may have much more energy than us, and if they do not have the opportunity to drain it, it will be very difficult for them to fall asleep.

It is easy to overlook it, because among so many daily things, sometimes we assume that others are as exhausted as we are.

You don’t have to be in a constant race with your child for this to happen, but you do need to have activities throughout the day; that he does not have many hours of leisure time and if so, encourage him to play in the yard or with his friends and spend fewer hours of screen time.

Activation during the day favors restful sleep at night (yes, we must prevent children from being overstimulated).

set schedules

One of the most important things to have good sleep hygiene habits is to have established schedules that must always be respected.

This means that there is a more or less fixed time to sleep and even to wake up (which you will set at home), and that it is important to follow these schedules even during the weekends (although in the latter case, we will be more flexible, of course). ).

On the other hand, during vacation times it is very common for us to leave these schedules aside, but it turns out to be counterproductive. What we can do is plan the flexibility of the schedule , doing it gradually and a few weeks before returning to school, start adapting to the schedule in the same way.

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”

-Irish proverb-

Limit screen time

It is very common today for children to have access to electronic devices such as televisions, tablets, mobile phones, etc., but we must bear in mind that their indiscriminate use can seriously affect the quality of our children’s soil, and in consequently its development.

This type of equipment emits what is known as blue light , and when we see them at night, our brain perceives it as there is still daylight, and therefore it should not prepare for rest.

This type of light alters circadian rhythms (which tells us when to sleep and when to wake up), so they should not be used for at least two hours before going to sleep.

The excess of screens can interfere with the quality of sleep due to the lights they emit and that activate the children’s brain.

Routines before going to sleep

Another thing that will help your children sleep like little angels is to establish routines before going to sleep, in this way their brain prepares for rest and their body will begin to relax progressively to facilitate falling asleep.

Within these routines should be brushing the teeth; You can also include a bath before going to bed or a glass of hot milk. Reading bedtime stories is also a great way for kids to get ready for bed.

And if they spend time with electronic equipment, limit them before going to bed and replace them with a story.

“Going to bed early and getting up early makes a man healthy, rich and wise.”

-Benjamin Franklin-

More useful measures to promote restful sleep

Finally, beyond those mentioned, other measures that can help your child sleep like an angel are:

  • Opt for light dinners (not copious; to promote digestion).
  • Avoid the consumption of sugars, carbonated drinks, etc. (especially the hours before going to bed).
  • Encourage physical exercise (if it is before going to sleep, keep it light, to prevent the child from becoming overactive).
  • Take care of environmental factors and the context ; opt for a suitable temperature in the room, avoid noise, keep the bed clean and fresh, etc.
  • Limit daytime naps (especially if your child doesn’t sleep well at night).
  • Use the bed only to sleep (so that the brain automatically identifies the stimulus of “bed” with “sleep”).
  • Promote communication and bonding with your children, so that they can talk about what worries them if this is the case and prevent all this from interfering with their quality of sleep.

And you, did you know these measures? Were you applying them? We encourage you to try them!

Photos | Cover (Freepik)

The 10 Big Mistakes Parents Make When Trying to Apply Positive Parenting to Their...

Positive Discipline is an educational model that is gaining more and more popularity among families who want to educate their children in a respectful way, without yelling or punishment. There are hundreds of articles on positive parenting that we can find on the Internet and social networks, and some include tips and tools to apply it in our day to day.

"Don't talk to strangers": how to get this message across to kids without scaring...

There are children who are very sociable and who talk to everyone. Others who do not fear anything, or who are more innocent... which can also lead them to talk to anyone who approaches them.

The FOMO effect or "fear of missing out" in adolescence: this is how your...

The FOMO effect (Fear Of Missing Out) is defined as "the fear of missing something". And although it is a concept that has become relevant in recent years, it is nothing new. In the late 1990s, Dr. Dan Herman coined this term.

When your children pay more attention to Alexa than to you and you decide...

We live surrounded by technology and it is inevitable that this will be incorporated as one more tool in parenting. In addition to apps that help with things ranging from designing your baby's room to managing the calendar of children with separated parents, devices such as tablets, mobile phones or smart speakers are here to stay. Proof of this is the growing use of Alexa as a timer that children obey without question (or at least without protesting as much as their mother).

"You don't understand me": how to help adolescent children to be less dramatic and...

When they enter the stage of adolescence, there are many boys and girls who can become dramatic in situations that, for parents, do not have the same degree of importance. Thus, in day-to-day situations, they feel that the world is ending, or they live everything with great intensity.

More