Bedtime Advice
Good sleep is important for your child's physical and mental wellbeing.
A relaxing bedtime routine is one important way to help your child get a good night's sleep.
Relaxation tips to help sleep
Doing the same relaxing things in the same order and at the same time each night helps promote good sleep:
- A warm (not hot) bath will help your child relax and get ready for sleep.
- Keeping lights dim encourages your child's body to produce the sleep hormone, melatonin.
- Once they're in bed, encourage your child to read quietly or listen to some relaxing music, or read a story together.
Is your child getting enough sleep?
According to the National Sleep Foundation:
- Children aged 3-5 should have 11-13 hours each night.
- Children aged 6-13 should have 9-11 hours each night.
As children get older, they become more interested in TV, computers, the media and Internet as well as caffeine products – all of which can lead to difficulty falling asleep, nightmares and disruptions to their sleep. In particular, watching TV close to bedtime has been associated with bedtime resistance, difficulty falling asleep, anxiety around sleep and sleeping fewer hours.
Screen Time
It is important to limit your children’s screen time before they go to bed as it has a huge impact on their ability to sleep well. Screens should be turned off 90 minutes before sleeping.