Establishing a Bedtime Routine

With more and more things competing for your child's waking hours, it is not surprising to hear that most children are sleep deprived. A recent KidsHealth KidsPoll estimated that 62 percent of children ages 9 to 13 do not get enough sleep and 70 percent were wishing they could get more sleep. Experts recommend that school-age children receive 9 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

Establishing a consistent bedtime routine is the best intervention is helping your child prepare for the next day.

• Set a bedtime for school nights, and stick to it.
• Make sure that all homework and other preparations for the next day is completed early enough in the evening, so that your child gets to bed on time.
• Have you child begin their nightly hygiene routine at least 30 minutes before their bedtime.
• After your child has completed their evening tasks, allow them some quiet reading time to slow down, and relax before bed.
• Spend some quiet time with your child discussing their day and activities. Ask your child about any projects, or concerns that they may have and need assistance with.
• Say goodnight to your child and state your expectations about staying in bed in a kind but firm voice.

Ensuring that your child is rested for the next day is also important in helping their immune system fight infection effectively. Children that are sleep deprived are likely to be ill more often, have a negative outlook on their life, and display poor social skills when interacting with others. Helping your child get enough sleep is just one more step in teaching your child self-care skills for life.

See you next week.

Gina