We know how much sleep is needed for all living organisms. That too for children, sleep is one of the important parts of their health. And adult human requires at least 8 hours of sleep. But children need more of it. For adults, sleep is about rest, but for kids it is much more than that. There is a great need for child sleep to help in boosting health and wellbeing of the kids.
Child Sleep is Essential
Sleep has a major part in kid’s wellbeing. The amount of sleep a child takes depends on his/her age.
- Your child’s brain development has a major part in it. Sleep is the activity of a child’s brain in his/her early development stages.
- Lack of sleep among children can lead to obesity or overweight at early ages. This is because; lack of sleep makes the children crave for sugary/starchy foods to equalize their need for energy.
- Sleep-deprived children tend to be overactive and irritable. They also lose their concentration and inner stimulation of mind. Sleep also boosts kid’s learning.
- Too little sleep can also affect the children’s growth and immunity level.
- Adequate amount of sleep has positive effects on kid’s psychosocial functioning and mental health.
- According to child psychologists, there is a close association between kid’s sleep and their cognitive functioning. It also affects their attention capacity and memory.
- Irregular sleep patterns can cause deterioration in kid’s emotional regulation and alertness.
How much sleep does a kid needs
Here is a simple child sleep chart that describes how much sleep a kid needs in each age for optimal health and wellbeing.
child sleep chart
How to train your kid for good sleep hygiene
It is important to maintain good sleep hygiene for children. As parents, we need to train appropriate sleeping habits and routines for children. This will help your children to wake up rested and they will be ready to function in both mind and body.
- Practice going to bed at the same time every day. This will become a routine for the kids in the course of time.
- Learn to have a bedtime routine like taking a warm bath or reading a book, or storytelling.
- Limit your kid’s bedtime drinks such as coffee, sodas or ice tea. For a good sleep, give them warm milk with honey.
- Having TV/computer in kid’s bedroom is a big NO. Do not let them watch scary movies before going to sleep.
- Have your kid’s bed used only for sleeping. Doing homework, eating, playing games in bed can distract your kid from getting trained to sleep on bed.
- Create a soothing and calm bedtime environment for your kid.