Sleep hygiene in children: 10 tips to promote it.

Some key ideas to help the little ones of the house to sleep well.

We all need to sleep and rest, and this action usually comes naturally at night, especially when we are very tired; but it is not only important to sleep, but also to have a deep, restful and quality sleep, and to sleep the necessary hours.

For this, sleep hygiene is essential; this consists of all those guidelines, habits and measures that favor quality sleep, which makes proper rest possible.

In childhood, this is especially important, which is why in this article we will talk about sleep hygiene. in this article we will talk about sleep hygiene in children, and we will bring you up to 10 sleep hygiene guidelines for children.and we bring you up to 10 guidelines that promote it.

The importance of sleeping (well)

As we have seen in the introduction, it is of great importance to maintain a good sleep hygiene to ensure a restful sleep, since sleep is a vital function necessary for many other functions.

Think about when we are excessively tired during the day, drowsy, dragging ourselves all over the place... We don't perform as well, do we? We work worse, we study worse... and we may even be in a bad mood, or even irritable..

This happens to adults, but it happens to children too. That is why sleep hygiene in children should be promoted and taken care of from a very early age. Moreover, the sooner children acquire these habits, the sooner they will internalize them, and the easier it will be for them to continue applying them in the future.

In this article we will focus on sleep hygiene in children, although most of these guidelines can also be applied to adults.

Sleep hygiene in children: how to promote it and help them to sleep

Let's take a look at 10 guidelines to promote good sleep hygiene in children:

1. Maintain regular schedules

Routines and schedules are essential to promote good sleep hygiene in children.. This means that ideally children should go to bed at the same time every day (or if not at the same time, at least at similar times).

This should also be extrapolated to weekends. Routines structure the mind and body, and are essential for the body to end up associating that time with bedtime.

2. Avoid consumption of stimulants

Another guideline to promote sleep hygiene in children is to avoid the consumption of stimulant substances; this includes drinks that may contain caffeine, soft drinks such as coca-cola, etc.etc.

Ideally, they should not drink this type of substances, or if they do, at least not at a very late hour of the day, and much less before going to sleep.

3. Encourage exposure to light in the morning.

It is known that exposure to intense light in the morning brings sleep earlier at night, so incorporating this habit into the routine of the little ones can also help them sleep better. Plus, if the light is natural, it can help them sleep better, if the light is natural, all the better..

4. Avoid TV, tablets, cell phones...

The light emitted by devices such as tablets, cell phones and others, is highly inadvisable when you want to fall asleep, because they produce just the opposite effect: "wake up" and activate the body and mind.

So, especially in sleep hygiene in children, it is strongly discouraged that they are "hooked" to these devices just before going to sleep; if they use them, it should be at night.If they use them, it should be at a reasonable time, for example until five or six o'clock in the evening.

5. Avoid video games

In line with the previous guideline, the use of video games before going to sleep is also discouraged, because they tend to excite and activate them (they make them "alert", just the opposite of what is needed to sleep).

6. The bed, to sleep

It seems something very absurd, but sometimes we "sin" in this pattern and we do not realize it. The organism, at a mental and physiological level, must associate the bed exclusively with sleep; it is for that reason that if the little ones, in addition to sleeping in bed, also play in it, eat, watch movies or other things, this can create real difficulties when it is time to go to sleep and fall asleep.

Why? Because their body no longer associates the bed with sleeping, but with many other situations, which makes sleep difficult. This is a matter of classical conditioning (where certain stimuli and responses are paired in "X" way).

7. Do not use TV to fall asleep

Another guideline that we propose to promote sleep hygiene in children, related to some of the previous ones that mention new technologies, is to avoid using TV to fall asleep.

Logically, it is not necessary to be drastic and to avoid TV at all costs (because there are children who even do well with it), but to moderate its use. If they can fall asleep with something else, better (for example with a book), because sometimes the TV activates them instead of relaxing them.

8. Create an environment that facilitates sleep

It is common sense; we sleep better in environments where we feel comfortable and at ease, in terms of temperature, position, clothes?

That is why is of great importance to take care of the environment where we sleep. (i.e., in this case, the child's room); this includes adjusting the temperature of the room, encouraging silence, having the child wear appropriate clothing (neither too tight nor too "baggy"), etc.

On the other hand there are children who like a little soft music, or sounds that imitate the waves of the sea, the wind, the rain, etc.etc. For this, there are applications that can be useful (consult the Google Store or App Store).

9. Encourage regular physical exercise

Practicing sports is great in many ways: one of them is that it relaxes us! Although it can activate us (especially depending on the sport), when some time has passed since the training, we feel relaxed and our body appreciates it.

So, regular physical exercise can also promote good sleep hygiene in children.

10. Practice by example

Sometimes, in order to learn certain habits, there is nothing better than a good role model; that is why, as parents, practicing by example can help our children a lot in this regard.

This means apply the above guidelines and let the children see it.In addition to modeling, it can help our children become aware of the importance of these habits and internalize them more easily.

On the other hand, practicing by example also involves creating an atmosphere of calm and tranquility at home from mid-afternoon until bedtime.

Bibliographical references:

• Caballo (2002). Manual for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of psychological disorders. Vol. 1 and 2. Siglo XXI (Chapters 1-8, 16-18).
• JJG Galve. (2009). Tips and aids for a good night's sleep. Medicina naturista, 3(2): 72-76.
• P David, M Blanco, M Pedemonte, R Velluti et al. (2008). Sleep Medicine - Chile: Editorial Mediterraneo.