Sleep

Sleep is truly instrumental and important for a child’s brain growth and development. Think about yourself and how you feel and act differently after just one night of bad sleep – you may be tired, groggy, or irritable. In addition, it can take you longer to process information making it harder to make good decisions. For our children, we notice similar things, but we also notice that they have a harder time learning new concepts like sharing, taking turns, and being patient. They also have a harder time remembering what they learned, and a harder time with their emotional regulation which can cause extra stress at home and school.
 
Thankfully there are a few simple things we can do to set our children up for success when it comes to practicing good sleep hygiene and sleeping through the night:

• Set up a daily bedtime routine for your children so they get used to winding down around the same time at the end of the day. Some families like to have the same routine of taking a bath/shower, brushing teeth, reading a bedtime story, and then going to bed. The consistency of this routine helps your child become naturally tired.

 

• Turn off all screens in your house (TV, Computers, Tablets, and Phones) at least 1 hour before bedtime.

 

• Try your best to keep a routine and consistent bedtime on the weekends, during holidays, and during vacations. I know this is easier said than done, but if you can do this and keep this consistently it will make bedtimes go smoother for your child when they are away from home and will make sure they continue to have a good night’s rest.

 

• Try to find a consistent bedtime routine and consistent bedtime with your family you all can follow. If everyone is going to bed around the same or similar times, it can make the whole sleep process go smoother for everyone.

Don’t forget that you are your child’s greatest example, so if you have a good sleep routine and sleep hygiene it will encourage your child to do so as well. In addition by having a positive example of good sleep hygiene, you can teach your children at a young age how important it is to get the recommended amount of sleep they need, and that sleep should be seen as a priority.
 
The CDC’s (Center for Disease Control) website has a good list of the recommended amounts of sleep per age. https://www.cdc.gov/features/sleep/index.html
 
How do these strategies work for your child? Does your family have a sleep routine set up? Leave a comment below or email us at blog@goflowoccupationaltherapy.com

See you soon!
Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L