#The things in the night full

Creating a strong sleep association with the bed and bedroom makes it easier to fall asleep there. Make sure toys and distractions are cleaned up before bed, or store them in another area of the house, if possible. ItвЂ™s also important to practice good вЂњsleep hygiene.вЂќ Use the bed and bedroom for resting. It might be frustrating as a parent to keep walking them back to bed, but you donвЂ™t want to create negative associations with being in bed. You can use a sticker chart and reward seven consecutive nights with a special treat or with fun one-on-one time, such as 10 minutes of playing a board game in the morning. Reward kids for waiting until the appointed hour. Help younger kids who canвЂ™t tell time learn when itвЂ™s OK to rise by using a special clock that changes color at the appropriate sleep and wake times. If your childвЂ™s wearable device indicates theyвЂ™re not getting quality sleep, itвЂ™s definitely worth seeing a sleep specialist to figure out why. Personal wearable devices that track sleep (like a FitBit) can sometimes work as an effective screening tool for sleep issues. What about sleep technologies? For younger kids, some parents use a special, colorful lighted sleep/wake clock to help their kids know when itвЂ™s nighttime and when itвЂ™s wake-up time. What happens during the day affects the night. Kids who are off their screens will be more active, burning through their natural physical energy, which makes it easier to settle down at bedtime. Limiting screen time can help in other ways, too. Ideally, kids should turn off screens at least one to two hours before bed. This can make kids feel wired just when they should be resting, and it can also inhibit the production of melatonin and serotonin, the sleepy-time hormones.

#The things in the night full

Younger kids need between 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night, so if your kids have an early rise time for daycare or school, make sure their bedtime is early enough to ensure they get a full nightвЂ™s rest.Д®lectronic screens are a bad idea before bed because their light stimulates the brain. For younger kids, earlier bedtimes (before 9:00 p.m.) mean they get more sleep and are better rested in the morning. This may mean discouraging teens from sleeping in on Saturday mornings since it can disturb their circadian rhythm and make waking up on school days that much harder. Kids of all ages (and grown-ups, too) should ideally go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day, give or take 30 to 60 minutes. Sticking to a set bedtime helps children feel secure because it offers predictability. For babies, spend 5 or 10 minutes cuddling and making eye contact, singing or saying soothing words. Either way, spending a few minutes asking kids questions about their day (focusing on the positive) or telling them things youвЂ™ve noticed about them can be a nice ritual. On the other hand, when a caregiver is home all the time, kids become dependent on the caregiverвЂ™s presence for comfort. When parents work full time during the day, evenings are when kids get their parentsвЂ™ attention.

Some kids become unsettled at bedtime because theyвЂ™re longing for more attention from their caregiver. When a plan is communicated and rehearsed, children are more likely to internalize it and less likely to ask for things that are not on the script. Review the plan together before you begin. For kids that canвЂ™t read, use a chart with pictures. Next, list the steps in sequence - вЂњPut on pajamas, brush teeth, read books, cuddle, lights outвЂќ - so everyone knows exactly what will happen. Let them decide how many books you will read together and when the cuddles will happen (this helps them identify their own settling needs and gives them a sense of control). If you have a toddler or an older child, ask for their input in forming the plan.

If you have an infant, it might be as simple as singing a song and turning on the white-noise machine. Adam Seligman, a physicianвЂ™s assistant in the Stanford ChildrenвЂ™s Health Sleep Center, offers these helpful suggestions: Sadly, just knowing your kids need a good nightвЂ™s sleep doesnвЂ™t mean theyвЂ™ll get it. So, sleep is important, especially for kids. For example, in kids, the most intense period of growth hormone release is shortly after the beginning of deep sleep.вЂќ вЂњWe are learning more and more about the impact of sleep on regulatory hormones. Sumit Bhargava, director of Stanford ChildrenвЂ™s Health Sleep Center. вЂњ is crucial for everyone but especially for kids, who are developing both mentally and physically,вЂќ says Dr. But even when theyвЂ™re curled up and tucked into bed, their brains are working hard on developmental activities like memory consolidation (the process of putting experiences in order, learning whatвЂ™s important and unlearning whatвЂ™s not). Nothing looks more peaceful than a sleeping child.