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Image provided by Happy Beds with permission.
New tips from a sleep company share how to keep your kids on a sleep routine during the six-week holiday break.
In the UK, 1 in 5 children aged 7 to 16 struggle to get more than three nights’ sleep a week. When school holidays come around, the structure that school imposes on the whole family goes out the window.
While this flexibility is fun, not getting enough sleep can cause little ones to forgo any emotional regulation, making them overly moody or hyperactive. This, in itself, affects working parents: 45% of parents admit to suffering from burnout within six weeks.
Luckily, Happy Beds has shared that getting your kids back into a sleep routine doesn’t have to wait until they return to school and can be accomplished in just three days.
Children in particular are more sensitive to changes in their sleep routines.
1. Don’t tire your children out at bedtime
You might think that running around and letting your child “wear himself out” will make him tired before bed. However, this could have the opposite effect. Letting him run around could make him more energetic and make his life harder when you try to get him to sit still after running around for five minutes earlier.
2. Don’t pressure them to sleep when they are too tired.
If your child is overtired and you think this might be the perfect time to sleep, it’s not. This could result in your child having a burst of energy and starting to wake up or even feeling unhappy and taking longer to fall asleep.
3. There is no such thing as “catching up on sleep,” so stick to a regular wake-up time.
If your child has been going to bed late some nights, you may be tempted to let him sleep in to catch up and make up for lost sleep. Don’t do it. The difference in wake times is detrimental to his sleep and will prevent him from waking up and falling asleep when he needs to during the week. Instead, be consistent and keep the same bedtime and wake-up time every day of the week.
4. Avoid stimulating activities before bedtime
It may be harder than it sounds, but avoid any mentally stimulating activities or electronic devices. Instead, stick to reading books, audiobooks, or any other relaxing activities to ensure they don’t find a way to stay up later.
5. Don’t opt for absolute silence
If you live in a house with lots of children and pets or even in a busy area, silence can be a distraction when you’re trying to get your child to sleep. Any movement outside, or even that of a pet, can disrupt your child’s sleep. So, get your child used to white noise. This is beneficial not only for babies, but also for older children and adults, as it isolates any external noise so your child can fall asleep more easily.
Once you introduce white noise, your child will recognize and associate the noise with sleep, making bedtime a little more peaceful.
“Our biological clock controls aspects of our emotional, cognitive and physiological health. Children, in particular, are more sensitive to changes in their sleep routines.
“They need more sleep than adults, as it is essential for healthy brain development. While children deserve to have an exciting and fun summer, it is important to maintain a routine whenever possible. Failing to do so could mean it is harder to break the sleep routine in time to return to school at the end of the summer.”
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