Consider the work that our brains do all day – think, feel, make decisions and worry about our family, friends and even our own safety. Sleep is the only time when our brain rests.
To get enough of that rest, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends 10 to 13 hours of night sleep for children 3 to 5 years old; 9 to 12 hours for children aged 6 to 12 years; and 8 to 10 hours for teenagers. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, only 4 out of 10 high school students and 3 out of 10 high school students are getting enough sleep.
Much of our emotional health is also linked to sleep, and lack of sleep can create a downward spiral: problems with mood or anxiety can make sleep worse, and lack of sleep worsens mood or anxiety. Our best bet is to break the cycle as quickly as possible.
I know it’s easier said than done, especially with homework, hormones and college pressures hanging over children and teenagers – not to mention their social lives, or the lack of it now. Implementing good sleep hygiene practices in the family is essential – for parents and children.
Start with a consistent bedtime routine
This means trying to keep weekend sleep and wake routines as close to the days of the week as possible. This is difficult, especially for teenagers whose biological clocks are naturally changed later, in a way that does not always correspond to the day at school. However, the more consistent the routine on the weekends, the easier it will be to fall asleep and wake up during the week, when it is usually the most difficult.
Starting to slow down at least an hour before bed
Keep screens out of bedtime and bedroom routine
The blue light that the screens emit can tell your brain that it’s time to wake up – the exact opposite of what we want before bed. Children should not only stop using their phones or screens an hour or more before going to sleep, it is best to keep them out of the room to reduce the temptation to use them, but also to reduce the emitted light that prevents the room from staying totally dark. That means laptops, tablets, game systems and, yes, cell phones.
In my experience, although storing the phones can be a disappointment at first, many older children feel liberated, more attentive and sleep much better when their phones are left in buckets on the dinner table and they don’t pick them up until after breakfast. morning.
Create a conducive environment for sleep
In addition to eliminating devices, the correct setting of the environment can play a big role in the quality of sleep you get. You want it to be warm, inviting and safe. Try to keep your child’s favorite stuffed animals, toys or a symbol of something calming near your bed. The room should be as dark as possible (blackout curtains work) and the temperature should be on the coldest side.
Try not to eat or drink an hour before bed
Your body works hard to digest food, extract all its nutrients and turn it into energy. You want to prevent this process from happening late at night, because not only certain foods, like sugars, can give you a burst of energy right before bed – if you haven’t waited long enough to go to sleep, it could be a recipe for reflux and discomfort stomach.
For older family members, avoid caffeine as much as you can, not before bed. Caffeine at any time of the day, even late in the morning, can affect your sleep. If you want a better, deeper sleep, cut out the day’s tea, coffee, or caffeinated sodas.
Try sleeping meditation while in bed
With your eyes closed and your body immobile, start at the tip of your forehead and, going down, relax all the muscles of your face. Keep moving down through the body to draw attention to different parts of the body, relaxing your muscles while “scanning” that area in your mind. Many children I worked with tell me that they barely reach their arms before falling asleep.
Stay in bed just to sleep
It is also useful for children to stay out of bed for activities that don’t last, including homework or even listening to music while texting their friends. You want your brain to associate bed with sleep, and this physical separation can help.
If meditation, counting or other activities do not work and your child is unable to sleep after 20 to 30 minutes, he should get out of bed and try a relaxing activity until he feels sleepy enough to try to sleep again. This helps your brain to continue to connect the bed with being sleepy, not awake.
Good sleep hygiene model for your children
As with most things related to parents, practicing what you preach not only reinforces the message, but shows your children what to do. By implementing the same techniques you expect from them, it becomes a familiar activity. Choose some evening family rituals, such as reading time without a screen after dinner or doing a guided meditation and accompanying it together.
Watch for signs that your child is struggling
The brain is one of our most precious assets and, as with any precious asset, there are ways to take care of it and nourish it so that it can do its job in the best way. And, it all starts – and ends – with sleep.