September is right around the corner and it's time to start thinking about getting the night time routine back on course for school.
Heather Dent, a paediatric sleep consultant, has shared just how important a proper nights rest is, along with her top tips to achieve it.
Speaking to RSVP Live, Heather said ‘Start getting your child up now at the time they will need to wake when going to school. If this is very far off the time they are getting up, work backwards by 10 minutes a day. Bring bedtime back accordingly to allow for 10-12 hours sleep.’
Research shows that sleep impacts alertness and attention, cognitive performance, mood, resiliency, vocabulary acquisition, and learning and memory, according to The Sleep Foundation.
In young children it is necessary for memory and motor skill development. Getting enough sleep also has effects on their growth.
Continuing, Dent warns "Avoid sugary foods as these won’t be allowed in their lunch boxes. You don’t want the tiredness that occurs from the sugar crash to happen on week one of school’.
Consuming sugar in the evenings is bad for sleep, as it raises blood sugar levels causing children to be overstimulated. Instead, you should give your kids foods that induce sleep, such as porridge or yoghurt before they settle down for the night.
‘Reduce screen time to no more than 1 hour per day and not before bedtime. We know that blue light hinders the production of melatonin. Melatonin is the sleepy hormone that children need to fall asleep and stay asleep.’ Heather explains.
Instead of using technology before bed, activities such as having a bath, reading a story or playing soothing music can have a significant improvement on your child’s sleep.
With all of the energy your child needs to get through the school day, equipping them with a good sleep schedule is one of the best things that you can do.
Get the latest RSVP headlines straight to your inbox for free by signing up to our newsletter
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this LINK to receive your daily dose of RSVP Live content. We also treat our community members to wonderful competitions, promotions, along with great stories. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice
