In recent decades there has been growing recognition of three critical ingredients for health and wellbeing; sleep, diet and exercise. More recently, attention has turned to the specific role of sleep in improving students’ learning and wellbeing. 

The Raising Children Network website has a range of helpful resources for families wishing to improve sleep. It notes :

‘Children and teenagers sleep better with bedtime routines, regular bedtimes, healthy sleep associations, comfortable sleep habits and healthy daytime habits.’ 

These measures sound wonderful in theory, but in the midst of busy family schedules juggling school, sport, homework, music practice and family mealtimes, they are not always easy to do! 

The Raising Children Network recommends the following 10 tips to help children and teenagers sleep better:

1. Set up a bedtime routine
A regular bedtime routine starting around the same time each night encourages good sleep patterns. A bedtime routine of bath, story and bed can help younger children feel ready for sleep. For older children and teenagers, the routine might include quietly chatting with you, turning off digital technology, having a shower, listening to music or reading, and turning out the light.

2. Relax before bedtime
Encourage your child to relax before bedtime. Older children might like to wind down by reading a book, listening to gentle music or practising breathing for relaxation. If your child takes longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep, your child might need a longer wind-down time before turning out the lights to go to sleep.

3. Keep regular sleep and wake times
Keep your child’s bedtimes and wake-up times within 1-2 hours of each other each day. This helps to keep your child’s internal body clock in a regular pattern. It’s good to do this on weekends and during holidays, as well as on school days.

4. Keep older children’s naps early and short
Most children stop napping at 3-5 years of age. If your child is having bedtime struggles at night, try to keep the nap to no longer than 20 minutes and no later than early afternoon. Longer and later naps can make it harder for children to get to sleep at night.

5. Make sure your child feels safe at night
If your child feels scared about going to bed or being in the dark, you can praise and reward your child whenever they’re brave. Avoiding scary TV shows, movies and computer games can help too. Some children with bedtime fears feel better when they have a night light.

6. Check noise and light in your child’s bedroom
Check whether your child’s bedroom is too light or noisy for sleep. Blue light from televisions, computer screens, phones and tablets suppresses melatonin levels and delays sleepiness. Bright light in the hour before bedtime can have the same effect on young children.

Try these tips:

• Turn off devices at least one hour before bedtime.
• Keep digital technology out of your child’s room at night.
• Dim the lights an hour before bed for children of preschool age and younger.

If your child uses a night-light, choose a dim, warm-coloured globe, rather than a bright, white, cool-coloured globe.

7. Avoid the clock
If your child is checking the time often, encourage your child to move the clock or watch to a spot where they can’t see it from bed.

8. Eat the right amount at the right time
Make sure your child has a satisfying evening meal at a reasonable time. Feeling hungry or too full before bed can make your child more alert or uncomfortable. This can make it harder for your child to get to sleep. In the morning, a healthy breakfast helps to kick-start your child’s body clock at the right time.

9. Get plenty of natural light in the day
Encourage your child to get as much natural light as possible during the day, especially in the morning. Bright light suppresses melatonin. This helps your child feel awake and alert during the day and sleepy towards bedtime.

10. Avoid caffeine
Caffeine is in energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and cola. Encourage your child to avoid these things in the late afternoon and evening, and don’t offer them at these times.

*Source: https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/healthy-lifestyle/sleep/sleep-better-tips#about-good-sleep-for-children-and-teenagers-nav-title

I wish all students and families improved sleep as we approach the middle of the year. 

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