Great Sleep Tips For Children

1.Get together to create a bedtime plan

Don't just give a bedtime plan to your kids.For children, bedtime is a separation time. Therefore you can help to empower and comfort them by including them in creating the plan.Everyone needs to feel they have some control over their lives, including kids.When you prepare the plan together, it will make bedtime more productive and meaningful for the entire family.

2.Begin a good night journal

Drawing or writing about their day (including pre-readers) for a couple of minutes every night before going to bed, is an excellent way to calm the body, clear the brain, and work through thoughts.Also, drawing or writing about our dreams, scary thoughts or problems, can help to reduce nightmares for both adults and children.Journaling can be very effective since it uses both the right and left sides of the brain at once to combine emotions and logic.When we draw and write about our experiences, we are making our implicit memories explicit.That helps us understand our experiences, intentionally deal with them, and feel more control over our lives.

3.Avoid using electronic devices and dim the lights

When you dim the lights before going to bed it helps to prepare your brain for sleep.The light from the room and artificial light that emanates from electronic devices stimulates our brains and reduces our melatonin levels, which tricks your body into thinking it isn't tired.Give your body and brain a break by creating a plan that eliminates computers, televisions, and other screen time 60 minutes at least before going to bed.

4.Play a short game before bedtime

There are many quiet, short games that can help you clear your mind as you are lying in bed, getting ready to go to sleep."Two Truths and a Fake" is one of the favorites we've played since our children were little.Everyone takes turns telling three things that they did that day, with just two of them being real.Then the other family members vote on which was made up. It is a fun game that encourages all family members to share their day's experiences, and also helps children to intentionally think about their day, as well as process the events to help get their brains relaxed to go to sleep.

5.Make up a good-night talk or listen to one

Mindfulness exercises that focus on the current moment help to promote better sleep and teach lifelong relaxation techniques, including for children.A guided, short talk before going to sleep that focuses on deep breathing and relaxation can help your child fall asleep a lot easier and let them get a better night's sleep.A three-minute audio talk, with narration from Jennifer Garner and called "Good Night, Dear Brain, Good Night," was developed specifically to help children relax for sleep.After the concept is understood by children they are able to write their own talk and play it before going to bed.When our daughter was five she recorded a two-minute talk on my phone to herself about a scary ride that she had been on that had given her nightmares. She played the talk to herself each night for around six months. It helped to ease her fears before she went to bed. When you take the time to focus on breathing and relaxation before you go to bed it produces amazing results for adults as well as children.

6.Change scary thoughts into ones that are silly

A child should learn at a very young age that she or he is the "boss of their brain."It takes practice to think positively and productively, but this skill is an invaluable one to learn.One beneficial exercise when your child is afraid to go to bed or wakes up scared during the middle of the night is teaching them how to take control over their imagination through transforming their scary thoughts into ones that are silly: Imagine a scary dragon with sunglasses and polka dots or a monster in the pool on a floatie drinking out of a straw.There are endless possibilities!

7.Hug one's favorite stuffed animal

It is very basic but scientifically supported that after saying goodnight to their parents, that having a stuffed animal with them can really help a child fall asleep.There was a study done on children who were afraid at bedtime.It showed that when they were given a stuffed animal that it reduced nighttime fears significantly compared to the children who didn't have a stuffed animal.

8 Bed

Ensuring your kids have a quality mattress and bed can really help them sleep better. Children are the same as us after all and they need a comfortable space to sleep in. So, if you’ve just invested in a Tulo mattress, maybe consider getting your children a new one too.

9.Every night follow the same bedtime plan

Children thrive on a consistent bedtime and routine. It is suggested by new research that a consistent bedtime for a child, and not how many hours of sleep, is crucial for developing their brains.A recent study showed that children who had non-regular bedtimes demonstrated more behavioral problems.When their bedtimes were switched to regular ones, there was a significant improvement in behavior.

Having a household that is well-rested is one of the finest gifts that you could provide to your family.It begins with having a consistent routine that you develop along with plenty of input from your children, to make bedtime something that is cherished instead of fear, both for the adults as well as the children.You might be surprised one night when you hear your child say, "Mommy, it's time for me to go to bed!"