Sleep - the pitter-patter of patterns
Establishing a routine is critical. There should be at least an hour wind down before bed time. If you want lights out at 8:30, give kids a 30 minute warning at 7:00 and then a ten minute warming at 7:20. Giving them advanced warning prepares them for what's to come and can make transitions easier. At 7:30, turn off all electronics for the night.
BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL
Light sensors in our eyes affect the pineal gland which controls the release of melatonin, the hormone responsible for readying our bodies for sleep. The light sensors are most susceptible to blue light like that emitted from television, phone, and computer screens. That's why powering down the screens an hour before bedtime is so critical; they interfere with the body's natural release of melatonin. The effects are compounded for teenagers whose circadian rhythm, or natural sleep cycle, is shifting to a later bedtime due to puberty (Mayo Clinic). They're already having trouble getting to sleep early enough to get their recommended 9-10 hours, so powering down those gadgets is crucial. The addictive nature of video games and other online activities is powerful and difficult to overcome, but this is where parenting becomes challenging and despite their protestations, you have to take those screens away.
SOAK THEM TO SLEEP
A warm bath is a natural relaxant, so a nightly bath time ritual can be beneficial for kids' bedtime regime. Your body slowly cools throughout the night and this aids good sleep. "If you raise your temperature a degree or two with a bath, the steeper drop at bedtime is more likely to put you in a deep sleep" (Health, 2008). Additionally, this natural cooling down for sleep is why the room should be no more than 68º (ShareCare).
PICK UP A BOOK
Reading reduces stress. In fact, it works better than a hot cup of tea, listening to music, or going for a walk. It gets better! After just six minutes of reading, stress is reduced 68%—heart rate is reduced and muscles relax. Apparently, you really can "lose yourself in a book." The act of reading, as opposed to television or video games, is far less stimulating and therefore, calming. There is no noise and there are no bright lights flashing at you from a book. This quiet, peaceful routine is a perfect segue to sleep. This only works for paper books, so put those e-readers and tablets aside for an effective bedtime routine.
When it comes to little ones, this cuddling-up-together-and-sharing-a-good-book activity can be a wonderful bonding experience. I have three kids and they were each allowed to choose a book for bedtime which we read in alphabetical order. They took turns putting them in order which provided additional language practice and helped to ward off conflicts over whose book was read first. This kept them still and calm and ready for lights out.
STICK TO IT
The sleep routine is key to setting your body's internal clock. Going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning are the best ways to ensure good sleep. And yes, this means weekends too. Don't let your kids stay up later on weekends and sleep in thinking as long as they get their recommended hours of sleep, they'll be fine. This wreaks havoc on that internal clock, the circadian rhythm, needed to get the best sleep possible. A consistent sleep and wake time is essentially to proper rest (Harvard Health Publications, 2013).
An added benefit to establishing routines, and sticking to them when kids are young, is that they can eventually go through the routine all on their own. As pre-teens, I still had to give them those 30 minute warnings, but they took a shower, brushed their teeth, read to themselves and turned out lights on their own. Once they became teenagers, sure there were a few nights of staying up late with homework, but they regulated their sleep pretty well. One even realized his weakness and put his laptop and iPod (our kids didn't get phones until they were 17, but that's another blog post!) in our bedroom every night to avoid temptation. The work it takes to maintain the rituals and train your kids is well worth it when they then function on their own, which should be your ultimate goal anyway.
For additional info, check out this site:
Mercola.com
BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL
Light sensors in our eyes affect the pineal gland which controls the release of melatonin, the hormone responsible for readying our bodies for sleep. The light sensors are most susceptible to blue light like that emitted from television, phone, and computer screens. That's why powering down the screens an hour before bedtime is so critical; they interfere with the body's natural release of melatonin. The effects are compounded for teenagers whose circadian rhythm, or natural sleep cycle, is shifting to a later bedtime due to puberty (Mayo Clinic). They're already having trouble getting to sleep early enough to get their recommended 9-10 hours, so powering down those gadgets is crucial. The addictive nature of video games and other online activities is powerful and difficult to overcome, but this is where parenting becomes challenging and despite their protestations, you have to take those screens away.
SOAK THEM TO SLEEP
A warm bath is a natural relaxant, so a nightly bath time ritual can be beneficial for kids' bedtime regime. Your body slowly cools throughout the night and this aids good sleep. "If you raise your temperature a degree or two with a bath, the steeper drop at bedtime is more likely to put you in a deep sleep" (Health, 2008). Additionally, this natural cooling down for sleep is why the room should be no more than 68º (ShareCare).
PICK UP A BOOK
Reading reduces stress. In fact, it works better than a hot cup of tea, listening to music, or going for a walk. It gets better! After just six minutes of reading, stress is reduced 68%—heart rate is reduced and muscles relax. Apparently, you really can "lose yourself in a book." The act of reading, as opposed to television or video games, is far less stimulating and therefore, calming. There is no noise and there are no bright lights flashing at you from a book. This quiet, peaceful routine is a perfect segue to sleep. This only works for paper books, so put those e-readers and tablets aside for an effective bedtime routine.
When it comes to little ones, this cuddling-up-together-and-sharing-a-good-book activity can be a wonderful bonding experience. I have three kids and they were each allowed to choose a book for bedtime which we read in alphabetical order. They took turns putting them in order which provided additional language practice and helped to ward off conflicts over whose book was read first. This kept them still and calm and ready for lights out.
STICK TO IT
The sleep routine is key to setting your body's internal clock. Going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning are the best ways to ensure good sleep. And yes, this means weekends too. Don't let your kids stay up later on weekends and sleep in thinking as long as they get their recommended hours of sleep, they'll be fine. This wreaks havoc on that internal clock, the circadian rhythm, needed to get the best sleep possible. A consistent sleep and wake time is essentially to proper rest (Harvard Health Publications, 2013).
An added benefit to establishing routines, and sticking to them when kids are young, is that they can eventually go through the routine all on their own. As pre-teens, I still had to give them those 30 minute warnings, but they took a shower, brushed their teeth, read to themselves and turned out lights on their own. Once they became teenagers, sure there were a few nights of staying up late with homework, but they regulated their sleep pretty well. One even realized his weakness and put his laptop and iPod (our kids didn't get phones until they were 17, but that's another blog post!) in our bedroom every night to avoid temptation. The work it takes to maintain the rituals and train your kids is well worth it when they then function on their own, which should be your ultimate goal anyway.
For additional info, check out this site:
Mercola.com