Home Work – Back to School Bedtime Routines

With early starts conspicuous by their absence, the school holidays are a time when parents across the country can allow their children to indulge in slightly later nights than usual. But, when the glorious stretch of seemingly endless school free days finally comes to an end, how can you reimpose order to bedtime? We provide a few tips and hints in the following post.

Maintain Some Order

While it’s normal to apply leniency to bedtimes during the school holidays, it goes without saying that you should maintain some sort of order. Try not to let bedtimes slip any more than an hour or so beyond a child’s usual sleeping hour. The further bedtimes stray from the regular limit the harder it is to then rein them in again.

Adjust Bedtimes Gradually

The body doesn’t react well to dramatic changes in sleep routine; so, if you’re child needs to return to their school bedtime, it’s important to exercises a degree of patience. Try to spread the readjustment period across a few days or even weeks. Children between the ages of six and 13 generally require around nine to 11 hours of sleep per night, so work out a schooltime sleep schedule that will allow for this and then work backwards 15 minutes a night.

Relaxing Routine

In the hours immediately before bed, encourage your child to partake in a relaxing routine that incorporates leisurely activities. This may include reading a book together, listening to soothing music and drawing and colouring. Create an environment that’s suitable for sleep by dimming the lights and fully closing the curtains or blinds pulled. Similarly, you should discourage activities that are likely to disrupt relaxation: phones and other electronic devices should be put away an hour before bed and any heavy meals should be consumed at least two hours before bed.

Is Your Child Sleeping in the Right Bed?

Children grow quickly and, just as they grow out of clothes, they may become too big for their bed –  a factor that could compromise they quality of their sleep. If you think that your child may need a new bed, please click on the following link to find your nearest Kaymed stockist, or for more information on beds, click here.