Healthy sleeping habits are essential for all people. They make us alert and energized during the day and keep our immune system in check. Unfortunately, a lot of people deal with sleep problems. And kids do too. A lot of these problems with sleeping are directly related to some of our less healthy habits during the day. For adults, drinking a lot of coffee, taking a nap during the day, or using a phone late at night can disturb our sleeping patterns. Kids also deal with certain habits that impact the quality of their sleep. They need a good quality mattress for kids, a comfortable room, and healthy sleeping habits for optimal rest. We will explain how important a good night’s rest is and which habits ruin sleep for kids.
The Importance of Sleep
Healthy sleeping habits are important for every one of us, but especially kids need to get plenty of rest to support their growth and development. Kids are very active during the day and are constantly growing and learning. Sleep supports this growth and that is why kids still need a good 10 to 12 hours of sleep every single night on a good quality mattress for kids with an adjustable bed pillow for kids for maximum comfort. During this time, their body and mind recover, and they are energized for a new day.
If children are not getting enough sleep, parents usually notice it straight away. The child becomes tired, grumpy, unfocused, and sometimes emotional. When sleeping problems occur more often, these problems can persist and get worse. Children can experience problems with motivation, concentration, memory, mood, and even their immune system. That is why it is extremely important to make sure that children have the best possible conditions for a good night’s sleep.
3 Bad Habits That Ruin Sleep
Just like adults, children have bad habits too. Some of these habits can impact the quality of sleep during the night. Unlike adults, children are usually not able to identify these sources of disrupted rest. That is why it’s up to the parents to spot these habits and replace them with healthier ones.
Not wanting to go to sleep
Some children make it a habit to call out for their parents, cry, get out of bed and find excuses not to go to sleep. This bad sleeping habit is behavior-based and although it can be difficult to solve, it can be dealt with effectively. Through behavior strategies, the child can be taught that these actions are unwanted and unhealthy. A health care professional can assist you in this if you need advice.
Irregular sleep pattern
Children function best when there is a regularity that they can stick to. Eating at the same times each day, doing sports on the same days each week, and having a strong nighttime routine are just a few examples. Going to bed at the same time each night can help to develop healthy sleeping habits. The body can anticipate sleep and prepare itself. This makes falling asleep at night a lot easier for kids. Going to bed at irregular times does exactly the opposite. The body doesnβt know what to do and children donβt know what to expect. This makes going to sleep a lot harder and it can be a foundation for sleep problems later in life.
Night terrors
Having nightmares and night terrors is a common problem among children. Nightmares are frequent in both children and adults and are generally considered to be bad dreams that you simply have to ‘shake off’ before going back to sleep. Night terrors are quite something else. The child is usually in a deep state of sleep when the night terror occurs. The child becomes very agitated, emotional, panicked, and sometimes aggressive. The child may look awake, but he or she is not. The night terror can persist for 10 to 15 minutes and after that, the child will either wake up or fall back asleep. It is best, during these night terrors, to try to comfort the child as best as possible. Waking them up usually is pointless and can even add to the confusion. Make sure the child is safe and can go back to sleep quickly. There isn’t anything else you can do but to provide them with good habits before they fall asleep and comfort them as it happens. A night terror doesnβt usually happen more than once a night and they can be very frequent, but they can also be absent for weeks or months. A night terror can be the result of a lack of sleep, so be aware of this.
In conclusion
As parents, you must be aware of the sleep quality of your children’s rest. Provide them with the best mattress for kids, an adjustable bed pillow for kids, and a comfortable blanket and stuffed animals if they like to have some company in bed. And by paying attention to any possible problems, you can spot any disturbances early on and fix them. Contrary to popular belief, sleep problems don’t generally fix themselves. These bad sleep habits have to be addressed, otherwise, they will persist and be a problem in the long run. For optimal health and performance, sleep is everything.
