Finding creative ways to get my kids to go to bed and sleep soundly through the night has always been an issue. When they stay up too late and then get up at the crack of dawn, they run out of gas in the afternoon and have challenges focusing at school. They are too tired to do their homework and they often fall behind on challenging subjects. It wasn't until I discovered a few simple tips on healthy sleeping for children that they regained their focus and actually got a more restful night sleep.
Avoiding Late Night Snacks
Snacks filled with sugar turn on the engines in children, getting their bodies to race instead of shutdown for the night. My children were still drinking soda and eating bowls of cereal right up until bedtime. I broke them of this habit by giving them healthier snacks like pumpkin seeds a few hours before bed. They were able to wind down as the night approached, sleep soundly through the night, and wake up refreshed each day. I noticed an instant improvement in their grades once we eliminated snacks and sodas from the late night menu.
Reducing Those Distractions
Its an idea to buy a nice childrens bed because when a child goes to bed, their mind and body are still in race mode, and any noises or distraction peak their curiosity and make it difficult for them to fall asleep. I bought them a nice kids bed from www.cutpricemattresses.co.uk, it helped them look forward to sleep time and help sidetrack them from all those distractions. Also I turn off the television in the living room and go watch it in my bedroom. It was further away from the kids room so they couldn't hear me giggling and laughing at the late-night show punchlines. I also purchased heavier bedroom curtains for the kids to block out lights and low noises from getting into their rooms to keep them from sleeping soundly.
Living Off the Grid
Kids today are attached to their mobile devices from the time they wake up to bed time in many cases. They are usually playing video games, chatting with friends, surfing the internet, or listening to music, either on their phone or on some type of electrical device. Studies have shown that by engaging in these activities right before bed is very unhealthy because these activities cause the body to go into high alert mode. All the senses are alive and on standby, so falling asleep soon after is quite a challenge. I found that telling my kids to turn off their phones and shut down any electrical devices a few hours before bed actually put them in the perfect mode for falling asleep more rapidly.
When it comes to children, the sooner you can calm them down during the evening the better. I would focus on giving my kids healthier snacks that promoted a more restful nights sleep, while getting them to engage in activities that made them tired instead of hyper before bed. Reading a book, doing their homework, or just relaxing on the couch with their parents and watch show together all proved to have positive results in their sleeping.
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