7 Tips To Help Your Child Sleep Better At Night

Babyment

7 Tips to help your child sleep better at night

1. Eating before sleeping. Consuming foods that contain tryptophan- an amino acid that increases the amount of serotonin in the body. In short, Serotonin is a precursor to melatonin, a hormone which is important for inducing sleep. Foods that are also high in protein such as Salmon, Eggs and Milk are also good sources of tryptophan. Alternatively, preparing food that are high in carbohydrate content such as rice, bread, pastries and pasta may result in increased insulin levels after consumption. This allows more tryptophan to enter the brain where it can be converted to serotonin. Ideally, parents should prepare a combination of the two foods mentioned above for the best results. Not only that, protein and carbohydrates are essential nutrition that every child should have adequate servings of.

2. Turn off noise and light sources: Light and noise can suppress melatonin levels and thus cause us not to feel sleepy until much later. Thus, parents should make sure all electronic devices and lights are turned off when your child is sleeping. Also, be sure to check on them every now and then to make sure they are not using their mobile devices as these distractions would certainly keep them awake and unable to fall asleep as their melatonin levels are constantly being disrupted. Its noteworthy as well that kids should limit their screen time to sleep better. This is because they will be spending more time being active, thus tiring them out faster. This could help them to sleep better at night due to fatigue.

3. Warm baths or showers: Children’s bodies are highly sensitive to temperature. Humans have natural temperature rhythms. When our body temperature is lowered, there is an increase in the amount of melatonin released. Thus, it is a good idea to let our children take a warm bath or shower one to two hours before they sleep. In doing so, their body temperatures will fall slowly after they exit the bathroom, thus causing them to feel sleepy. However, do ensure that the water’s temperature is not too hot or else the child’s body will be irritated and agitated by the scalding temperatures and as such prevent him from feeling sleepy.

4. Keeping their sleeping quarters cool: As mentioned above, children’s bodies are highly sensitive to temperature. Although bathing or showering helps to regulate the internal temperatures of their bodies, the external temperatures of their sleeping quarters or rooms have to be controlled by the parents. This can be accomplished through air conditioners, blankets and different types of mattresses. Ensure that temperatures are not extreme as the ideal temperature for most children to sleep soundly is just slightly lower than that of room temperature. Eventually after paying attention to our children’s sleeping habits, we would figure out what’s the ideal temperature for them to sleep in.

5. Meditation: Calm meditation boosts melatonin production. There are plenty of meditation videos online that can serve as tutorials and guides for parents to teach their children how to meditate effectively. Meditation can also double as bonding time for parents and their children.

6. Adopt a bedtime routine. Children are generally more relaxed and stress-free after they are showered with positive attention. Thus, it is important that parents spend time devising a bedtime routine for their children and themselves to adhere to. During this routine, parents can choose to sing lullabies, tell bedtime stories to their children or just have a friendly conversation. This would undoubtedly have a calming effect on your children and help them to drift off to sleep easier. It could also have the added bonus of helping adults themselves to sleep better too.

7. Ensure that your children adopt a regular sleep regime: Maintain consistency in their sleep and wake-up timers. Keep their timers within one-two hours of the previous timing each day. This would help to regulate the child’s body clock and enable them to adjust to sleeping well at regular intervals. Also, do not let your child nap for excessive periods of time. Do not allow naps to be taken after early afternoon as they would not be as tired when night time comes. Try not to let your child sleep for longer than 20-30 minutes as longer naps would provide them with excessive amounts of energy that prevents them from being able to sleep well at night.