Thursday 8 May 2014

Sleeping Tips for Children

Now that the clocks have been set back, it is a great time to focus on your child’s sleeping habits.

We all know how important a good night’s sleep is especially to growing children; quality sleep can help children to better focus on learning new skills and maintaining a stable mood.

Sleep experts suggest that primary school aged children should get 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night. According to a new study, twenty-seven minutes is how much extra sleep children this age need per night to be brighter and more productive the following day.1 Experts also say that pre-school aged children should sleep about 11 to 13 hours a night.

With help from BootsWebMD.com, you can find out more about helping your kids wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next day. Try some of these methods which may help you to look forward to silent nights this winter:

·         A good sleeping environment - Ideally the bedroom should be dark, quiet, comfortable and tidy to encourage relaxation.
·         Get the temperature right - Did you know there is an ideal temperature to encourage sleep? This should be neither too hot nor too cold – between 18 and 24°C is about right.
·         No more naps - Napping during the day may create difficulty in night-time sleeping.
·         Start the bedtime routine earlier – Telling young kids that bedtime is earlier is a hard sell so start getting them ready around 30 minutes earlier. This includes brushing teeth and reading a book to or with your child.
·         Identify and address key stressors - For example, additional homework, problems with friends, or a move to a new house or school, can all cause night-time anxiety.
·         Keep a sleep diary – If you are worried about your child’s sleep, starting a sleep diary can help you keep track of any challenges and will also help your GP should you seek medical advice.

You can also find a children’s sleep disorder guide, sleep slide shows and useful facts and information on healthy sleeping and developing positive bedtime routines on BootsWebMD.com.

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