Establising bed time routine for kids

• Being able to establish a bedtime routine for your kids will also help them to develop a healthy sleeping regime. You may be equipped with a vast array of knowledge regarding set patterns or habits for developing a good bedtime routine for your child. But what you may not be aware of is that “every child will respond in a different manner to a particular routine.” This is because, every child and family will have different sets of priorities depending on their family norms and way of living.
• As per different surveys conducted on how sleep tends to have an impact on a kids daily routine, it was reported that:-
• Kids who always had their parents deciding their bedtime routine were likely to get a sufficient amount of sleep, as compared to those who chose to set their own bedtime.
• Some parents stick to the habit of keeping their child awake for the rest of the day. They feel that he or she will thus end up retiring to bed a little earlier with a fairly good amount of sleep. With this, they only refrain from agreeing to the fact that being overtly tired would make sleeping rather difficult and their child much fussier.
• How to measure a good amount of sleep? Well, there’s not any specific way to do so. You child has been having a good sleep pattern, if he feels fresh and energetic when woken up and appropriately tired when he goes to bed.

Inadequate sleep- Its Dangers

• Health experts believe that inadequate sleep can lead to the following problems in children:-
• Daytime sleeping.
• Decreased attention span.
• Difficulty with concentration.
• Irritability.
• Inconsistent performance leading to poor academic grades.
• Depression, hyperactivity and sometimes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can also be observed in these children.
• Recurrent sleep deprivation can also have an adverse effect on your child’s immune status. Your child’s ability to fight infections diminishes gradually leaving him more susceptible to illnesses.
• Besides this, it will also influence the child’s outlook towards life. You can interpret a hard day at work, when you missed on a good sleep. But a child may not be able to differentiate the reasons behind his irritability. He would rather exhibit his distress by throwing tantrums and being extremely demanding about certain things or toys etc.

Establishing Bedtime Routine

• Toddlers and preschoolers should be getting around eleven to fourteen hours of sleep.
  The winding down period for a toddler would last for about half an hour before he is put to bed. You could make use of this time in such a manner that helps him realise that in a while, it would be time to sleep.
• A warm bath or a story telling session can be made to fit in the period before being put to bed.
• If your baby likes listening to her favourite kiddie rhymes, then let her have an ear to those tunes as well.
• Be very careful and choosy about what programmes your toddler views before he goes to sleep. This could greatly influence the nature of her dreams.
• At times, you may find your child getting startled in her sleep due to some nightmares. Assure her by gently patting her forehead and tucking a warm cosy blanket or a soft toy. This helps in build a sense of security in your child.
• Make sure that your toddler does not miss out on the naps in the routine. The reason is simple, inconsistent naps during the day can make her overtired resulting in difficult falling and staying asleep.

For School age children:- School going children would require an average of about nine to ten hours of sleep.

• Keep a set bedtime for your kids’ school days and follow the same. Make sure that there is no pending school work or assignment left with which your child may be struggling till the last minute. Check for the all the little notes that may be written in his notebook. Usually children aged six to seven years old are made to copy what all may be written on the blackboard by their teacher at the end of the day. For e.g. this would specifically include homework for the next day or things to bring for the painting competition ahead etc. If for some reasons, your child was not able to make a note of it, check for the same from his buddies or other classmates.
• A wrap up session before going to bed could last for about 30- 45 minutes which would give your child time to finish his glass of milk, brush his teeth, have a warm bath and change to his night wear. This could be followed by sharing some time alone with your child away from his siblings. You could just help him recap his day’s happenings, read a book together, a pep talk if he’s had a difficult test that didn’t go that great etc.
• Usually kids are very fond of all sorts of carbonated beverages. Energy drinks, chocolates and aerated beverages are laden with good amounts of Caffeine. Having any of these even in early evening can disrupt the child’s normal sleeping pattern. Be vary of them as it is, for it does not have any positive effects on your child’s health. Limit any sort of food and drink intake before sleep time.
• You know, it’s difficult for a child to resist not playing the last session of his favourite video game when they need to catch up on their sleep. So make sure that his room is not equipped with any kind of electronic media such as t.v, computers, video games etc.
• Kids have an active day at school running and playing around. Even back home they are left with ample amount of energy constantly hopping about exploring or either playing in neighbourhood. So a naptime of about 1.5 hour during the day is essential to help them slow down and relax a bit. This would also give you some quality time for carrying out other chores and have some peace of mind as well.
• Be particular about having consistent meal and playtimes for your child. Keep away from indulging your child in any kind of activity before bedtime that can be over simulating. This would include playing even for a short while, just before hitting to bed.
• Lastly, bid a warm good night to your child by ensuring he is well comforted in his bed.