Do you remember those lazy days? You could sleep until noon and spend the rest of the day in your PJs? A relaxing breakfast whilst reading the paper? Remember? A dim, distant past? What’s that you say? Before you had kids?
Uh huh!
Sleep? What is that you ask. Can’t quite remember since the arrival of your little ones?
Today Jamye David, a sleep consultant shares her best tips to ensure your kids have a good night’s sleep. (Yep, they sleep, you sleep. Win win!)
Increased physical activities.
If you want to make sure your kids have a better sleep, encourage them to engage in physical activities rather than being couch potatoes. Studies have shown that kids involved in regular physical activities sleep better than those who don’t.
No electronic devices in the bed.
Recent scientific research has revealed that sleeping patterns are significantly interrupted by blue light emitted from contemporary electronic devices, especially in kids. That means no using tablets, TVs, laptops and smart phones in bed.
White noise helps.
White-noise is believed to significantly help babies and toddlers sleep well. Since younger kids tend to fall asleep much earlier than the rest of the family, maintaining a quieter and calmer environment for them becomes almost impossible. White-noise apps and devices can help soothe babies to a sounder sleep.
Avoid exposure to violent content.
Violence is bad for anyone, let alone young kids. Kids younger than 8 shouldn’t be exposed to violent content, because it seriously affects their quality of sleep. It can result in increased anxiety rates in younger kids, as well as nightmares.
Introduce them to meditation and relaxation from an early age.
Habits inculcated at an early age remain with a person throughout life. You can exploit this phenomenon to incorporate the healthy habit of relaxation so that it becomes a part of their lives. Not sure where to start? How about kid’s yoga. Check out Kid’s Yoga Stories.
Calming bed time routine.
Help them wind down with a calming bed time routine. A soothing bath, a bedtime story. Kids like routine. It helps them relax and signals to them what’s coming next…Bed and sleep!
My Baby’s Sleep.
If you’ve got a young baby and you’d like to know more about your options to help your baby sleep through the night, grab yourself a free copy of my free eBook My Baby’s Sleep by Dr Orlena Kerek. Just follow the link and enter your email. The book will be sent to straight away.
Jayme David
Jayme is a sleep consultant. Check out more of her great writing here.
Feeding Toddlers.
Would you like your kids to eat more healthily? Check out the book!