”Question: During Child's Health Day, what new habits can I introduce to improve my child's health?
Reading time: 5 Minutes
MWi Hack:
- For better family sleep, establish consistent bedtimes, create a sleep-friendly environment by removing electronics and regulating temperature, and incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation or warm baths to wind down before bed.
MWi Summary:
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- Maintain consistent sleep schedules for the whole family, even on weekends
- Create a sleep-friendly environment by removing electronics and regulating room temperature
- Incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation or breathing exercises before bedtime
- Use warm baths to help lower body temperature and signal sleep time
- Address daytime stress and anxiety to improve nighttime rest
Regardless of how old your children are, when you’re a parent, getting enough sleep and making sure kids get plenty of quality Zzz’s can be challenging. Here are some tips for making it happen.
We’ve all heard the phrase “beauty sleep.” But the benefits of sleep go beyond the surface.
Data shows that good, quality sleep can have positive health benefits. This means that if you aren’t getting the recommended 7–8 hours, you’re at risk of things like poor memory recall, trouble completing tasks, and difficulty problem-solving.
This isn’t just true for adults. Experts recommend that kids and teens under 17 get an average of 9–12 hours of sleep, with studies connecting poor sleep to poor brain development.
One 2018 study of survey data from over 65,000 high school students found that poor sleep quality was associated with heightened risk of depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
Because restful and consistent sleep benefits our mental and physical health, developing a sleep hygiene routine is crucial for family health.
Go to bed at the same time every day
Keeping a consistent sleep schedule isn’t just for babies — it’s a good practice for the whole family.
About one-third of U.S. adults deal with excessive sleepiness, and only half of youth are getting enough sleep, with factors ranging from oversleeping to inconsistent bedtimes.
To keep your internal clock on track, do your best to keep the family’s bed and wake times steady — even on the weekends.
Think about it this way: If you stay up late on Friday, there’s a good chance you’ll want to sleep in on Saturday, which can cause difficulty in achieving a decent bedtime when Sunday evening rolls around.
Create a great sleeping environment
An important part of you and your family getting to bed on time is creating an environment conducive to sleep. Here are a few tips for creating sleep-friendly bedrooms.
Remove electronic devices before bedtime
Cell phones, computers, and TV emit blue light, which can lessen the natural production of melatonin — the hormone that regulates your sleep cycles — which can affect your sleep quality.
Consider a house-wide rule of no devices at least 2 hours before bedtime. This will give you and your kids time to chat with loved ones over text or watch one more episode on Netflix after dinner, but it will still leave plenty of time to unplug before it’s time to crawl into bed.
Regulate room temperature
Preferences on sleep temp can vary, but studies show that temperature actually plays a major role in sleep quality. Between 60–67°F (15–19°C) is an optimal temperature for adequate sleep.
Other suggestions for creating a great environment for sleep include:
- reading with your kids before bed
- keeping beds reserved for sleep — no work, eating, or games
- engaging in calm activities
Try meditation before bed
Meditation right before bed can be a great way to soothe any tension in the body or anxiety in the mind.
You don’t have to be a mindfulness guru to get started — it’s all about focusing on the breath and guiding your kids to connect with their bodies.
A few examples to get you started are:
- the 4-7-8 technique
- alternate nostril breathing
- box breathing
These exercises are great for parents and can easily be modified for young kids or teens. Start by creating a safe and quiet environment (which is helpful before bed, anyway) and encouraging them to center their different senses.
Read more about breathing techniques or the basics of meditation for kids.
Wind down with a bath
We know a bath can be soothing for adults, but you can also try giving your little ones a warm bath shortly before you tuck them in.
Taking a shower or bath may help you sleep if you take one at least 2 hours before bed because it helps lower body temperature once you hop out, letting your body know it’s time to call it a night.
After the baths are done and jammies are on, the whole house can settle down and head to sleep.
Let go of daytime stress
Kids and adults alike can carry a lot of stress from the day, so when it comes to winding down before bed, addressing both the mind and body is a helpful approach.
Meditation and warm baths help, but if you’re noticing your kids are especially keyed up after school, consider the following methods for decompressing.
Reduce external environmental stimuli
Depending on your family members’ sensitivities, too many stimuli can make it hard to get relaxed and sleepy.
Consider tweaking bedtime environments with tools like:
- earplugs
- weighted blankets
- blackout curtains
- white noise machines
Openly address anxiety
Sometimes there are specific things on kids’ minds that might make it hard to relax. Creating a home environment where they can openly discuss stressors is important for maintaining sleep routines, but also for maintaining a safe and comforting space overall.
Takeaway
Sleep is vital to the well-being of your family. Because of life’s demands and stressors, it can be a challenge to balance sleep schedules that work for everyone, but you have options.
Creating a healthy sleep hygiene routine for you and your kids will lead to better and more consistent sleep, ultimately improving everyone’s mental and physical health.
If you’re new to adding structure around sleep — don’t worry. Start with making your space inviting for rest, and go from there.
MWi would like to thank Zuri White-Gibson for sharing these insights with our community. Click the button below to be directed to the original content:
