11 Ways to Help You and Your Kids Get the Sleep You Need
How can you and your kids get the sleep you need consistently for a healthy brain?
We get busy and skimp on sleep. Sometimes our minds race, and we CAN’T sleep. Nightmares might play a role in depriving us of the sleep our brains and bodies need to function at their best.
But we ALL need adequate sleep to stay healthy.
My dad used to brag about how little sleep he needed. Sadly, he didn’t remember me for several years before he passed away.
Yep, studies have linked both Alzheimer’s disease and dementia to not getting the sleep our brains need. Deep sleep produces the delta waves that clean out excess proteins and dead cells. Those slow brain waves also repair damaged cells.
Your children’s brains need healthy sleep for their developing brains—through their mid- to late-twenties.
Their brains dearly need sleep to process what they learn during the day, to facilitate their bodies’ healthy growth, and so much more!
And have you noticed how everyone gets along better and feels happier after a good night’s sleep?
So, what can you do to help you and your kids to get the sleep you need?
Here are 11 Ways to Help You and Your Kids Get the Sleep You Need
1. Develop a drinking habit.
Make it a family ritual to drink a glass of water in the afternoon and another one shortly after dinner. This will cool the brain and hydrate the body for healthy sleep.
2. Get moving.
A study in New Zealand found that sedentary children can take up to two hours longer to fall asleep than active ones. At least one hour of daily exercise kicks brain chemicals into gear to help kids nod off at bedtime (Reinberg 2009). Adults can do as little as 20 minutes of exercise three days per week to fall asleep faster and get quality rest (Kredlow et al. 2015).
3. Set a specific bedtime and wake-up time.
Be consistent, even on weekends, because extra hours of sleep can keep us from feeling sleepy the night before we have to get up early again.
4. Create (or refine) a bedtime routine.
A habitual relaxation time triggers the secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland in the center of the brain. This hormone slows brain waves, causing drowsiness and relaxation. Snuggling with a stuffed animal or special blanket can add comfort. Soft sheets, room-darkening shades, and relative quiet can also send signals to the brain that it’s time for sleep.
5. Turn off the TV, e-tablet, cell phone, and computer two hours before bed.
Research indicates the light from electronic devices can interfere with the production of melatonin. Even a half hour of TV before bed can rob us of up to two hours of sleep (Figueiro et al. 2009).
6. Turn down the heat.
Melatonin also regulates the drop in body temperature needed for sleep. You can help by setting the room temperature between 65 and 70 degrees, cover your child (and yourself) with a light blanket, and make sure pajamas aren’t too hot.
7. Wait until morning to approach stressful subjects.
The stress hormone cortisol is produced in the brain to regulate blood sugar and immune response, among other things. Confronting your child right before bed can raise cortisol levels, keeping them wired all night. Besides, you’ll both be fresher and more able to deal respectfully with an uncomfortable topic after a good night’s sleep.
8. Respect bedtime fears.
Sometimes all it takes to decrease your child’s monster-induced cortisol levels is for you to give the closet and space under the bed a thorough check. If they still worry, try using a favorite toy to “stand guard” after the lights go out. Another option: Get a lavender spray made with essential oil and call it “monster repellent.” Not only with the lavender ward off imaginary beasts, but this oil is also thought to help people sleep. (Avoid commercial bathroom fresheners—the chemicals can be toxic.)
This calming practice can help you and your child relax your mind and body. Ask your child to inhale slowly to the count of four and then exhale as you count backward. Repeat the process four to six times, kiss your child on the forehead, whisper “Good night,” and leave the room.
10. Try white noise.
Play music with ocean waves, raindrops, or other calming sounds, or wear foam earplugs. The distraction from outside sounds can help you and/or your child relax into sleep.
11. Talk to your doctor or pediatrician if none of the ideas, in any combination, help you sleep.
Ongoing trouble with falling asleep, staying asleep, or nightmares may indicate a sleep disorder and require medical attention.
(List above from Brain Stages book, pages 17-19)
I hope you will tell us in a comment which of these suggestions you plan to try— and if you have found something that works for you and your kids that isn’t on this list!
Note: In our house, different combinations of these suggestions would work for several weeks to help our daughter sleep. Then after a while, she would begin to have trouble again with falling or staying asleep, and we would have to try different combinations of two or three items on this list.
In other words, be flexible and willing to change up what you do to help you and your child get the sleep you need for a healthy brain.
Sweet dreams, 😊
Trish Wilkinson
Coach, speaker, author Brain Stages: How to Raise Smart, Confident Kids and Have Fun Doing It
