While most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep, the American Sleep Association says children and teenagers require nine or more. Sleep helps the brain to consolidate new information and the body to recover from the day's activities. Therefore, help your child transition into a healthy sleep routine by promoting a regular sleeping schedule, making his room as quiet, safe and comfortable as possible and encouraging daily exercise.
Bedtime Routine
The Mayo Clinic suggests that as you condition a child to associate the same routine -- brushing teeth, taking a shower, changing into pajamas and reading a book -- with sleeping, she will become accustomed to it and follow it each night. Also, try to make the routine as fun as possible. Find a toothpaste and toothbrush that your child prefers; even brush your teeth with her, modeling the excitement of being responsible. In addition, a warm bath will help to relax your child's body, further promoting the likelihood of sleep.
Create a Safe Environment
A few factors may hinder your child's ability to fall asleep. One includes the stress and worry of the bogeyman. To reduce your child's fear of the dark, it may help to place a night-light somewhere in his bedroom. Also, remind him that you are right next door in case of an emergency, or a bad dream. Similarly, you can do as KidsHealth.org suggests and place pictures of the whole family somewhere near his bed. As your child becomes less fearful of the dark, he will fall asleep more easily.
Create a Comfortable Environment
The National Sleep Foundation recommends making your child's room quiet, dark and cool. Each of these elements helps to induce sleep. Furthermore, you may want to keep a fan or air conditioner running, as the constant background noise will help to subdue any outside distractions.
Eliminate Late-Night Entertainment
Devices like video games, televisions and computers may tempt a child to stay up beyond his bedtime. Be sure your child understands that after a certain hour, the entertainment stops. Otherwise, remove these items from the room until your child is old enough to use them responsibly.
Encourage Healthy Exercise & Meals
Encourage your child to run around and play as much as she can during the day. Not only does exercise ward off health issues, it promotes sounder sleep, according to the American Sleep Association. In addition, exercise utilizes the leftover calories from food, removing excess energy your child might otherwise still have at night. Nevertheless, stop exercise more than three hours before bedtime, and curtail heavy foods and drinks as well. The National Sleep Foundation warns that exercise or eating a heavy meal too close to bedtime can stimulate activity, preventing your child from falling asleep.
