How to Help Children Get Enough Sleep
Sleeping is an essential part of development for every person. It is a significant component of everyone’s daily routine and requires thorough consideration. The body needs to recover and rest from a full day of exertion by consuming healthy foods and getting enough sleep. A person who gets a good night’s sleep will feel more rested and ready to face the day when they get up the following morning. However, it is not more common for people to sacrifice their precious sleep and the numbers have been rapidly growing over the recent years.
There are several potential causes for this, but the most prevalent one has to do with technology and the amount of time spent using it. Many children have even stayed up all night playing games or watching films on their devices. Then, there is also the use of social media and endless scrolling at the end of the day. As more and more studies have shown, sleep deprivation can have a variety of negative effects on a child’s development, this has become a worry for many parents.
Table of Contents
How much sleep do children need?
Studies have given varying answers about how much sleep a person needs. For children, as they are still growing, it largely depends on their age and how well they can function with lesser hours of sleep.
Children age 3 and older need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep every day on average. It makes sense that kids would want to play and explore more at this age, but they should still be careful to get enough sleep. In order to get more sleep at night, parents can continue to put their kids down for naps, but they can shorten their duration or stop it altogether. Children in primary school, ages 6 to 12, should sleep for at least 9 to 10 hours each night. However, parents may find this to be a bit of a challenge at this point since kids will also start to use more of their technology or watch television.
How does sleep affect children’s health?
Numerous studies have shown that getting enough sleep helps one function and concentrate better the following day. It is crucial for children so they can develop their bodies to their full potential and perform at their best.
Good sleep helps with the body’s immune system and helps ensure that the body stays healthy and active. As such, the body can mend itself better when sleeping. The transporting of oxygen in the blood and blood vessel repair, which can aid ensure the body is better and calmer, are two more obvious examples of this. Future heart, high blood pressure, and even diabetes disorders can all increase the risk of not getting enough sleep.
Deep sleep releases a hormone in the child’s body that helps ensure they can grow healthy and their muscle mass, cells, and tissues also develop properly. Speaking of hormones, getting enough sleep might also aid in hormone balancing. In addition to disrupting a child’s hormones and making them feel hungrier than usual, lack of sleep can also influence the body’s hormones, which can promote obesity.
How does sleep deprivation affect children?
Lack of sleep can affect a person’s performance the next day. This may have an impact on children’s performance the next day at school. In addition to impacting their academic achievement, it may also negatively impact their physical health and put them at risk as they age.
Sleep deprivation can also heavily affect children in a school-setting. Focus is very important in learning. A student may find it difficult to concentrate in class if they are sleepy from not getting enough sleep the night before. So if they don’t get enough sleep, their focus may wander and they may miss some crucial information the teacher may have provided. As a result, students may also find it difficult to concentrate on specific tasks that call for their attention and focus since they lack focus. As a result, due to lack of sleep, the child wouldn’t be able to adequately recollect their lessons from the day when they get home. They won’t be as concerned with remembering what they have studied for the day as they will be more focused on getting some sleep.
How can parents help children get enough sleep?
If the signs above are evident in your child, then there is a high chance they are sleep deprived. However, don’t fret. We’ve gathered some tips to help make sure children get enough hours of sleep they need.
1. Give them a comfortable sleeping space
To ensure that your child gets enough sleep, consider where they sleep. Make sure they can sleep comfortably in their bedroom. Additionally, bedrooms should be cold, quiet, and dark to encourage children to fall asleep on their own. Parents can also assist a sleep-deprived child by playing relaxing music in the background to help lull them to sleep.
2. Get rid of distractions
The most frequent cause of children’s lack of sleep today is personal technological devices. According to several research, using electronic devices right before bed can reduce the quality of sleep that both kids and adults get. For this reason, parents should check to see if their kids have switched them off or quit using them before bed. Other than the television, phones, laptops, or other distractions, there may also be other distractions present so make sure to check with your children and help them understand why they need to get rid of these distractions before sleeping.
3. Help them develop a nighttime routine
Children can benefit immensely from schedules and routines, especially if they are well-established. Assist your child in creating a bedtime ritual that will help them unwind and fall asleep. They might take a bath to help them feel more relaxed and calmer at night. They can also read books or have their parents sing them lullabies before bed. The child can do this to wind down, relax, and get ready for bed.
4. Establish a sleeping schedule
The body has the ability to adapt and form habits. Children are therefore capable of accomplishing this with their sleeping and waking schedules. Children who have consistent bedtimes and wake-up times will develop a natural wake-up signal from their bodies over time, eliminating the need for alarm clocks altogether. Their body will also automatically alert them when it is time for bed, which is also true of sleep. To ensure that the habit lasts, parents should watch that their children stick to their routines.
5. Regulate nap time
Small children can benefit from naps, but you should watch out for scheduling them too late. If a child naps throughout the day, it is ideal to plan them right after lunch to minimize the impact on the child’s nighttime sleep cycle.
Conclusion
To ensure that they can develop and grow up in a healthy way, children require all the assistance they can obtain. Insufficient sleep can become a serious issue if it is not properly and promptly addressed. It can impact a child’s performance in daily activities as well as their general health. Parents can take the next step and seek assistance from a pediatrician or sleep expert if the aforementioned suggestions don’t resolve the child’s sleeping issues. Every second counts, particularly for developing children, thus parents should take the initiative to help their kids establish sound sleeping habits.
Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
