The 12th World Sleep Day, which is being celebrated today, aims to shed light on the importance of sleep across all age groups. While in the adult years, sleep issues may trigger serious health impacts including cardiovascular issues, hypertension, depression and fast cognitive decline, in case of kids, the consequences of poor sleep are reflected mainly in their brain development and academic performances.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine lays the following sleep-duration guidelines for children across different age brackets:
4 to 12 months — 12 to 16 hours
1 to 2 years — 11 to 14 hours
3 to 5 years — 10 to 13 hours
6 to 12 years — 9 to 12 hours
13 to 18 years — 8 to 10 hours
Well, if you want to ensure that your children get the right amount of sleep based on their age, your secret to success lies in following sleep guidelines on a regular basis. A recent review of sleep research conducted at the University of British Columbia (UBC) found that this rule works wonders for all age groups including adolescents. Their review found several studies which revealed that adolescents who were bound by strict sleep guidelines set by their parents snoozed better than those whose parents hadn't created a regular routine. The review by UBC was focussed towards analysing the data of sleep hygiene followed by 16 countries in North America, Europe and Asia. It involved around 300,000 kids in four age groups: Infants and toddlers (four months to two years), preschoolers (three to five years), school-age children (six to 12 years) and adolescents (13 to 18 years).
Here are the top 7 sleep rules that will give better sleep to your little ones. Celebrate this World Sleep Day by setting them up today and sticking to them. Every day.
Create and follow a regular bedtime routine This routine could include reading a book together or listening to a calming music. However, the duration of this routine shouldn't be more than 30 minutes and end in your little one's bedroom only. Stick to this schedule every day. This ritual will send signals to your child's brain that it's time for sleep while helping him relax. Make sure that he doesn't indulge in any sort stimulating activity immediately before bedtime. Also, it is extremely crucial to follow the same bedtime and wake-up time every day. Don't let this change on weekends, or else, it will be difficult for your child to get back to the previous schedule on Monday. A variation of 30 minutes to an hour, however, should be okay.
Reward your childIf your child follows the bedtime routine that you have set up for a week, reward her with points. If she sticks to the routine for seven days, she earns seven points. After she earns seven points surprise her with a gift. This will work as an incentive for her to follow the routine set up by you.
Switch off the screens The blue light from various screens confuses the brain and interferes with the production of sleep hormones. So, make sure your child is away from TV, mobile, laptop or tabs at least an hour before going to bed. A recent European study revealed that kids who were hooked on to screens in a dark room before bedtime had a higher chance of getting inadequate sleep. Their quality of sleep was also found to be low. The research involved 278 children in the age group of 4 years. This practice was also linked to long daytime nap.
Inculcate healthy eating habits A large-scale research from last year that involved 177,091 Greek children in the age bracket of 8 to 17 found that 40 per cent of them were sleep deprived. This study found that there was a link between their insufficient sleep and eating habits which included skipped breakfast, fast-food addiction, and regular.
Keep your kids active Get your little ones into the habit of working out during the day. This will give them better shut eye during the night. Make sure that they do not become couch potatoes. Keep your kids active through the day.
Don't let them indulge in caffeine If your kids are finding it difficult to fall asleep regularly, then probably it's time for you to monitor if they are indulging a bit too much in caffeine-based drinks. Caffeine can mess up with their sleep even if they have it hours before going to bed. This should be strictly limited. Coffee-based chocolates and ice creams can also interfere with your child's sleep time.
Prep up his bedroom Everyone needs a cool, dark and quiet room to fall asleep. This applies to kids as well. Make sure your child isn't feeling too cold or hot while he hits the bed. So, it's essential to keep an eye on what he wears while going to bed. Also, make sure that there is pin drop silence in his room as kids are extra sensitive to noise.
Published: March 15, 2019 6:36 pm
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