Yes – Your Child’s Bedtime is Important!

By Sara Butler

You know the drill – when it’s time to go to bed at night your child turns into a very thirsty philosopher who needs a big hug. They will try anything and everything they can to not go to bed when you want them to. But, if you’re one of those parents who are sticklers for bedtime, you need to know you are fighting the good fight. There is a lot of research that supports how important a child’s bedtime actually is. Here is what you need to know!

Why Bedtime is Important

If children don’t go to bed at a decent hour, then it can lead to a litany of physical, emotional and mental health problems down the road. Plus, the quality of sleep your child gets at night is heavily influenced by what time they go to bed, as well as other factors such as if they have a television in their room or if a parent is present when they fall asleep.

If your child is sleep deprived, which they may be if they don’t go to bed at a decent hour, they are more likely to have weight management issues, are more inclined to be depressed and may display aggressive behavior or have issues with attention span. How to you combat this? A good sleep routine is a step in the right direction!

How to Help Your Kids Get Better Sleep

Once you understand how important a good night’s sleep is to your child’s health and wellness, you can start to incorporate some of these tips to help them along:

• Put your kids to bed at the same time every night – You should also try to wake them up at the same time every morning. Sure, that can be a bummer on the weekends, but you shouldn’t be sleeping in, either!
• Create a proper sleep environment – Their room should be dark, cool and quiet. This provides a great environment to get them asleep and help them stay asleep.
• Cut off the sugar and caffeine – It’s a good idea to cut off sugar and caffeine in the afternoon, several hours before their bedtime.
• Turn off the television and other electrical devices – Children shouldn’t have televisions in their room and they also should have 1 to 2 hours before bed where they don’t watch television or play on an electronic device.
• Teach them how to fall asleep on their own – You don’t want your child to be dependent on you to fall asleep. They will sleep better if they can soothe themselves to sleep.

So, the next time your night time philosopher kicks it into high gear, just dig your heels in and know you’re fighting the good fight!