Make sure you’ve read Part 1 of our good evening routine for children!
A good and consistent evening or bedtime routine is really important for all children to rest their overactive minds. We recommend you consider the following to make sure your kids have the best chances of getting that all important great night’s sleep.
Environment
Your child’s sleeping environment should be a place where they feel safe and secure, but it’s also important that this should be a place to sleep and not play.
Make sure you consider the needs of your child (everyone is different!). Some children may find the use of a nightlight can make them feel safe – others may sleep better in total darkness. Room temperature and noise level should be adjusted, where possible, to ensure your child is comfortable to fall asleep.
Importantly, your child’s bedroom should not contain things that distract them from sleeping – if you find that your child is being stimulated by toys, it may be best to remove these from the room before bedtime, or to keep toys in a different area of the house.
Basically try to make their bedroom a relaxing sanctuary just as you would for your own bedroom!
Routine
TEN PM recommends that everyone should have a good bedtime routine – and that also applies to children! An example routine can start 30 minutes to two hours before bedtime, and can include activities to help wind down, such as a warm bath/shower or reading a story.
There are certain foods and drinks that can be part of this routine such as a warm drink or certain high carb snacks. TEN PM’s hot chocolate and night cookie are absolutely the perfect combination for any child (or adult!) to help with falling and staying asleep.
Sticking to a set routine each night will help your child to relax and settle before bed and give them the time to calm down before sleeping. An obvious but top tip is getting your child to use the toilet before getting into bed to help prevent your child from needing to get up in the night time.
Technology
We live in an age where the use of electronic devices (such as televisions, mobile phones and tablet computers) is one of the biggest drivers for poor sleep (that and stress/anxiety).
It’s easier said than done, but try to prevent your child from using any of these devices close to bedtime (ideally a couple of hours before bed) as they produce blue light that is good at suppressing natural hormones in the brain that cause sleepiness. And remove them from their bedrooms to prevent any secret midnight game playing behind your back!
