Improving your child’s sleep is the best investment in your family’s health.
Are you getting up at night to console a scared toddler or having nightly visits from a wandering preschooler? Well, you are not alone. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a quarter of children under the age of 5 don’t get adequate sleep, and that is a problem for the whole family. Lack of sleep negatively affects the child’s mood, ability to focus, cognitive performance, and has been linked to many health issues later in life. It is however also an enormous burden for the entire family because poor sleep causes heightened stress levels in the entire family.
Don’t t feel guilty
But before you feel overwhelmed and disheartened by your child’s sleeping habits know, that most kids struggle with sleep at some point. The American Academy of Family Physicians studied the phenomenon and concluded that early identification of sleep problems may prevent negative consequences, such as daytime sleepiness, irritability, behavioral problems, learning difficulties, and poor academic performance. In other words, recognizing the problem is the first step to solving it.
Tools to improve sleep
When it comes to sleep the are no overnight miracles but according to The Sleep Foundation, there are many things you can do to improve sleep quality greatly over time. Most of them have to do with lifestyle choices. They especially point to establishing a strict bedtime routine as beneficial. Here are some of their recommendations to improve sleep.
- A healthy diet
- Keep a regular bedtime
- Turn off bright lights and screens
- Put on pyjamas and brush teeth
- Read a light book, sing a lullaby, or take a bath
- Set the thermostat in the child’s room to a slightly cooler temperature
- Use dark curtains to block out light, or a nightlight if they’re scared of the dark
- Keep the bedroom quiet, or use a white noise machine to mask outside sounds
- Avoid large meals, and sugary treats before bedtime, opting for a healthy bedtime snack if necessary
These are all small steps you can take to improve sleep and hopefully the stress levels in your family.
