As parents, we all want our children to have a decent, uninterrupted night’s sleep. It is drummed into us that such a thing is vital to their well being and we tell as much to our little ones.
However, I fear our reasons for packing the little monkeys off to bed before we’ve even cleared away their dinner plates is hardly a selfless act now is it?
I certainly wasn’t rattling through the multitude of sleep benefits as I was ushering Martha up the apples and pears last night. I was more concerned about missing Corrie. I could hear the credits rolling as I was cutting my daily deal with her. Something along the lines of, she could have two sweeties and a milkshake on the way home from school if she just got into bed and stayed there. Of course I will renege on any such pact when I pick her up later. Sweets and shakes before dinner? Not in my house. Cough.
No, you won’t catch me calling “get into bed or your developing memory will be shot to pieces” or “you’d better go to sleep or else your reaction times will be poor in the morning”. However I do occasionally get tempted to shout, “get to bed or your behaviour will be a lot worse tomorrow than it has been today!” but I think that’s what they might call a ‘red rag to a bull’.
Despite the aforementioned reasons being damn good (and clinically proven) ones for demanding that our children alight the stairs at once, I have come to the conclusion that we all love bedtime for one reason only. A moment’s peace. After the daily whirlwind who isn’t counting the seconds until it’s barely acceptable pyjama time?
If we were to measure such a thing, the scales would lean heavily towards our own needs rather than those of our children I fear. But don’t feel too guilty because our determination to get them into their beds is doing them lots of good I assure you. Not least giving them chance to perform better at school, helping to fight off all those pesky minor ailments and aiding their growth and development.
So if you are struggling to get your child up the stairs before your favourite TV detective hits the small screen, maybe you need to take a look at the ‘Good-Night Guide for Children’leaflet which has been put together by The Sleep Council and The Children’s Sleep Charity. It details all you need to know to induce the perfect slumber.
Here are some of their top tips to get you started.
- Set aside time before bed to wind down properly. This is the perfect opportunity to read with your child, or talk to them about their day.
- Limit the use of screen time such as smartphones or tablets during the hour before bed.
- Declutter their bedroom to keep distractions to a minimum. Make sure it is cool, quiet and dark.
- Keep regular bedtime hours. A good sleep routine will work wonders.
- Know how much sleep your child needs. As a general rule of thumb toddlers need around 12 hours of sleep a night, children aged four to six need 10.5 to 11.5 hours, six to 12 year olds need 10 hours and teenagers need around eight to nine hours.
- Make sure they have a bed which is large and firm enough to allow a comfortable night’s sleep whilst supporting those growing bones and muscles. Letting your child choose the bed themselves will encourage them to want to spend time in it too.
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