Give Your Kid The Great Night Of Sleep They Need
Is your child having trouble getting to sleep at night? An issue here can lead to problems with their performance at school and in various other aspects of their life. While it can be tempting to just let your child find the right sleeping pattern for them, as a parent, it is best to help them along. Here are a few ways to make sure they are getting a great night of sleep.
The Right Bed
You do want to think about finding the right bed to make sure that your child can get a good night of sleep. The wrong bed can easily keep a kid up at night. For instance, they might be sleeping on a lumpy mattress or one that is too firm for them. Get the right mattress and you can ensure that your child is able to sleep all the way through the night without any issues at all. Don’t forget there are plenty of different options on the market today as well including memory foam.
Electronics
The results are in and perhaps unsurprisingly, research has shown that electronics do keep us up at night. Studies suggest that electromagnetic energy from these devices can cause a serious issue with sleeping patterns. It can stop you from reaching the deepest level of sleep and this could be why you feel exhausted when you wake up in the morning. That’s why you might want to think twice about letting a child have a TV in their room. You also need to make sure that they are not keeping their Nintendo Switch on all night or even checking their phones.
Create A Sleep Routine
One of the best ways to make sure that a child is going to sleep at night is by creating a routine that they can easily follow. There are a few ways to do this but a good starting point would be to ensure that they are going to sleep at the same time every night. If you do this, then you will be able to make sure that they start to feel comfortable going to sleep at the right time. It can also help develop a habit. A habit is difficult to break and something that is basically automatic. As such, it puts less pressure on you and the child to get a good night of sleep.
Lookout For Signs Of Sleep Disorder
It’s uncommon but possible for a child to be suffering from a sleep disorder. A sleep disorder will mean that children do struggle to get to sleep at night through no fault of their own. Severe night terrors can be an example of this however it’s also possible that a child is suffering from insomnia. As you might be aware, insomnia is a mental health condition that causes a patient to struggle to sleep for significant periods, particularly at night. It is worth exploring this possibility and you may want to consult a doctor about this.
Find What’s Causing Them Stress
There are plenty of reasons why your child could be struggling to get to sleep at night. It’s important that you look at the potential possibilities for this. You might find that there’s an issue at school. For instance, a child who is being bullied will always have difficulty sleeping because they will be dreading the next day of school.
It’s also possible that they have stress in their life that is caused by personal issues. This could be anything from the pressure that they feel to compete at sports to perhaps problems in the family. It’s difficult to say what might be keeping your child up at night. That’s why you need to make sure that you are working to explore what could be the root of all the problems.
Don’t Dismiss Their Fear
One of the mistakes that a parent will often make when they are attempting to help their child sleep is to dismiss something that is making them scared. Kids are commonly scared of the dark as well as various other irrational fears with the classics being monsters. It’s important to approach this on their level. Ultimately, that will depend on the age of the child in question. For older children, it might be possible to appeal to their sense of logic. However, for younger kids, you need to look at it from their perspective. You need to show them that there are no monsters in the closet and that their room is safe.
You can also think about using a video call. This is a great option if a young child is struggling to sleep when you’re downstairs and they’re upstairs. They’ll be able to know that you are there with them and it can provide the reassurance that they need.
Tips For Older Kids
Finally, it’s worth closing on some tips for helping older kids sleep. As parents, we often think that when our kids reach a certain age, it’s time to let them make their own decisions and this includes nighttime behavior. It’s true, by the early teens they should have a certain level of independence. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t or indeed shouldn’t provide the support that they require.
For instance, is it really healthy for your teen to be talking on their phone all through the night or scrolling across social media? Particularly if it’s a school night. The reality is that this can have a negative impact on their performance in school and ultimately it may even begin to shape their future.
For this reason, it may be beneficial to set some ground rules and ensure that the phones aren’t used after a certain period. The best way to make sure that they listen is to lead by example. After a certain time of night, you too should be putting the phone down too.
We hope this helps you understand some of the best ways to help your child get the great night of sleep that they require which will lead to the performance in school and life that you want. It will even improve general health and wellness.
