A Good Nights Sleep Makes All The Difference #CMHmoms

Disclosure: This post brought to you by Children’s Mercy.

With back to school in full swing getting your kids set in a good sleep routine should be at the top of your list. During the summer bedtime routines typically disappear. Kids have a tendency to stay up later and then sleep in the next day.  A good sleep routine takes time because kids need more than one night for their bodies to reset. The recommendation is at least a week out from the school year, begin getting up at the appropriate time and also begin a night time sleep schedule.

Why Is Sleep So Important? Sleep helps kids feel prepared! Their tissues, muscles and bones grow while they are asleep and sleep helps keep their immune systems healthy (which helps to fight illness). So much goes on when their eyes are closed. Their brains sorts and stores information. When they get a good night sleep, the next day they can think, focus, remember and solve problems.

Make Sleeping Time More Effective: Once your child goes to sleep, that sleep needs to be a sound sleep. To increase their chances to sleep soundly make sure they get plenty of exercise during the daytime – at least one hour of physical activity a day. Limit evening activities and allow time for a relaxing bedtime routine. Try to make sure they go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. Avoid caffeinated drinks, especially after 2 p.m. Then make sure their room is quiet, dark and comfortable by turning off television, video games, cell phones and other screens at least one-two hours before bedtime. You can find more tips on improving sleep by clicking here.
How Much Sleep? Adults need seven-nine hours of sleep a night, but children need quite a bit more. All kids are different, and some need more sleep than others. Elementary kids need about 10-11 hours of sleep a night, while teenagers need 9-10 hours.

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Falling Asleep Tips: New routines can be hard to get the hand of at first. Sometimes kids feel scared or worried at bedtime, making it hard to fall asleep. I know mine start to worry about back to school, even though we start our nighttime routine a week before school starts. A soft, comforting object to bed – like a favorite stuffed animal or special blanket sometimes helps. A loud fan or a sound machine. You could also try to read a book with them or count backwards from 100 their eyes closed.

A lack of sleep can make it hard to handle the challenges of day-to-day life. Not getting enough sleep can leave kids feeling cranky, clumsy, forgetful, sluggish or depressed.

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You can visit Children’s Mercy on Facebook and Twitter for more everyday parenting tips and more tips for establishing a bedtime routine as kids head back to class.

Comments

  1. Karen Glatt says

    It is so important for kids to get enough sleep for learning in school. It is so good to go to bed early and have enough energy to learn and play during the day. I make sure that everyone in my house gets enough sleep.

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