Sleep is a vital part of a child’s life. As the child grows, so does the need for sleep. The more active and adventurous your child becomes, the more sleep will be required. With increased activity comes increased stress and an even greater need for good quality rest.
Our kids need good sleep for their healthy development. And also it improves their concentration and motivation which becomes a great strength in life. But if your kids do not get enough sleep, they will be very cranky and irritable. When your kid is cranky, he/she can’t bear any kind of stress or simply cannot learn anything. And this makes the parents worry much more than necessary about their children.
Sleep is vital for mental, physical, and emotional health, Below I will explain how sleep affects your child’s brain.
1. Sleep Helps Memory Consolidation:
The hippocampus is the brain region responsible for consolidating memories during sleep. It is believed that sleep deprivation can lead to an overall decline in memory function due to the loss of hippocampal neurons. Sleep is essential for memory consolidation and can help strengthen your child’s memory.
2. Sleep Helps In The Process Of Learning:
The sleep stage we spend most of our time in (the non-rapid eye movement or NREM phase) is when we learn and memorize new things. This process includes the hippocampus responsible for storing memories, making connections between new information and old memories. It also includes the prefrontal cortex responsible for integrating new information into existing knowledge, which makes you think more clearly. There is no better time to consolidate new information than when they are asleep.
3. Sleep Helps In The Process Of Dreaming:
Sleep is also important for our ability to make lucid dreams or conscious dreams. A lucid dream is a dream where you’re aware that you’re dreaming and can control what happens in your dream. So learning how to make lucid dreams can help improve your child’s sleep quality and help them become more creative too!
By knowing these benefits, it helps you as a parent prioritize your child’s sleep. If you want to acquaint yourself with a phenomenal read, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker is a must on the power of sleep. Not just for insights into your child’s sleep but also your own.
Coupled with the powerful knowledge and benefits of sleep it is only right to couple this knowledge with tried and tested practice. Here are the top 3 habits you can use to help your children get the best sleep possible:
1. Establish A Bedtime Routine:
Creating a regular bedtime routine for your child will help them sleep much easier. A young mind loves routine. A bedtime routine includes tidying toys, preparing their dinner, having baths, and brushing their teeth before getting into bed. For example, if your child is a fan of a bedtime story, plan a nightly story for them to enjoy. If they’re a fan of playing with their toys, then read or play with them before going to bed. This will help them feel more relaxed and help them fall asleep faster. There are many variations of bedtime routines, so be sure to choose one that your child likes.
2. Limit Screen Time Before Bedtime:
Limit the amount of time your child spends on screens before they go to sleep by making sure they don’t use their phones, tablets, or computers for more than an hour before bedtime. This will help prevent them from staying up too late and disrupting their sleep.
For example, if your child is a fan of playing on their phones or tablets before bed, then you can limit how long they play by having them set a timer for an hour and only allow them to play with the device when that timer goes off.
3. Read A Book:
Reading to your child before they go to sleep is one of the best ways to help them fall asleep. Reading at night can help you both relax and destress. This is especially important for children, as it helps them create positive memories of their day. It can also teach your child different perspectives on how things work, which will be useful in the future when they are older.
An example of a good bedtime story is to ensure it takes place at the end of the day. If your child loves animals, then maybe they can read a book about what happens to animals at night while you tell them a story. If they love reading fairy tales, then maybe you could read together one of their favorite stories like “Cinderella,” or even make it more interactive and turn it into a game by playing charades or other games while you read.
One last mention is to ensure that the bed your child sleeps upon is comfortable. There is no use having great bedtime habits and routines set in place if the mattress isn’t supportive or comfortable. In our research, the Mlily Kids Mattress ticked all our boxes for a supportive night’s sleep.
Children are constantly growing, learning, and improving themselves! Helping them sleep well and ensuring they get enough rest will help them become creative and successful adults.
