Preparing for a good night’s sleep starts hours before bedtime.
If your child is tired or cranky during the day, sleep issues may be the culprit. Kacey Greening, Akron Children’s pediatric psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist, offers some strategies to set your child up for sleep success.
The first thing to do is look for signs that your child isn’t getting enough sleep. “Your child may be groggy and/or irritable in the morning. It may be a struggle just to get them out of bed in the morning,” Dr. Greening said. “They may show signs in school too – such as concentration difficulties, falling asleep in class or not doing as well with their grades as they should.”
Start preparing for sleep hours before bedtime
What your child eats and drinks close to bedtime can impact their sleep quality. “Caffeine and sugary food and drinks can keep kids awake at night. These types of food and drinks should be avoided within an hour of bedtime, if possible,” Dr. Greening offered. “If your child likes bedtime snacks, stick with proteins and complex carbs like apples, yogurt, bananas, peanut butter, cheese sticks or warm milk.”
Establish a bedtime routine and relaxing environment
Visual cues help kids know it’s time to wind down and get ready for bed. These can include brushing their teeth, putting on their pajamas, taking medicines and going to the bathroom.
“It’s best for your child’s bedroom to be a phone- or tablet-free environment at night,” Dr. Greening said. “A good practice is to remove technology an hour before bed – unless the device is used for a soothing activity such as listening to a bedtime story, sleep-friendly app or kid-friendly meditation. Also, it is helpful to set a daily limit on screen time.”
How much sleep kids need
Once you’ve improved your child’s bedtime routine and environment, how many hours of sleep do they need? Dr. Greening shares that:
- Toddlers typically need between 11-14 hours of sleep.
- School-aged kids typically need between 9-12 hours of sleep.
- Adolescents typically need between 8-10 hours of sleep.
“Catching up” on sleep
When kids are busy with school, sports and other extracurricular activities, maintaining a sleep schedule can be tough. But it’s important. “Typically, maintaining consistent sleep and wake times during the weekdays and weekends will make it easier for your child to fall asleep at night,” Dr. Greening said. “Playing catch-up by sleeping in on the weekends can make it harder for your child to fall asleep on weeknights and perpetuate the cycle of sleep difficulties.
“We know teens are prone to being night owls – wanting to stay up late and sleep in late. Studies have shown that it’s generally OK for your teen to sleep in a little on the weekends, as long as it’s within 1-2 hours of their weekday wake time.”
Model good sleep practices
Kids watch and imitate their parents’ behavior. Set a good example for your child by maintaining a consistent bedtime, putting down your devices an hour or two before you go to bed and doing something relaxing like reading a book. “If you make sleep a priority,” Dr. Greening said, “your entire family will reap the physical and mental health benefits of a good night’s sleep.”
Need more help with your child’s sleep? Read how to get them to sleep in their own bed, or learn more about Akron Children’s Pediatric Sleep Medicine.
