Good quality sleep is probably the most underestimated factor in good mental and physical health of a human being. It is particularly observed that during the last 30 to 40 years, it is when we have started to give less importance to sleep. This is largely due to the world to the rapid rhythm which generally wants to do more and wants to catch everything.
Importance of sleep for children
Sleep is crucial for the growth of the physical, mental and immune system of children. Small proteins such as cytokines are produced during sleep time. These cytokines are crucial to repelling diseases and infections and are crucial to building the immune system. Many growth hormones are also produced during sleep cycle time which promotes the growth of height, bone, muscle and cognitive function.
THE National Sleep Foundation Recommend the next amount of sleep – including naps for young children – for people at different stages of life:
- 14-17 hours for newborns (0-3 months)
- 12-15 hours for infants (4-11 months)
- 11-14 hours for toddlers (1-2 years)
- 10-13 hours for preschool children (3-5 years)
- 9-11 hours for schoolchildren (6-13 years old)
- 8-10 hours for adolescents (14-17 years old)
- 7 to 9 am for adults (18-64 years old)
Having less sleep will bring children or even adults to be less energetic, raised in impulsiveness, aggressive, anxious and unable to be 100% on any activity. An inadequate sleep will have an impact on the behavior and performance of children in and outside the class and indirectly has a huge effect on their self -image and their confidence.
Another aspect of life on which sleep has a huge impact is self -regulation. An adequate sleep leads to better self -regulation in terms of improving discipline and emotional regulation. People who sleep well generally feel better and are able to manage their emotions and their pulses more effectively, exchanging short -term gains for long -term property.
What can we do by parents to help children sleeping quality?
Parents and tutors can help children practice good sleep hygiene. Here's how:
- Keep the room comfortable, clean, dark and quiet. I have no electronic devices that can only be expensive disruption for your sleep.
- Make sure a sleeping schedule coherent every day of the week, including weekends.
- Avoid very heavy meals just before bedtime. The body's sleep cycle is disturbed when it digests a heavy meal. At least 2 to 3 hours between meals and going to bed is recommended.
- The blue light of electronic devices can negatively affect the release of melatonin, the hormone which regulates sleep cycles.
- Get a lot of natural light during the day – Encourage your child to get as much natural light as possible. The brilliant light removes melatonin and makes the child feel awake and alert during the day, which makes sleep during the night after sunset.
- Avoid caffeine – Avoid coffee, energy drinks, cola, chocolate, tea and caffeine food during the evening period will better regulate the sleep cycle in children and adults.
- Avoid scary TV shows, movies and games at night. Children should feel safe during their sleep time, otherwise they will become very worried about their safety. It is preferable for some children to avoid emissions and scary films.
- Night light and music can help – night light could help children feel safe in a darker room and more soothing music can also help some children fall asleep.
- Sweet toys could help some – having soft toys can help some children fall asleep while tightening the soft toy and feeling the heat of the bed.
- Encourage deep physical and cognitive activity during the day – Encourage children to do physical activity like gardening,, gymnastics,, soccer,, cooking,, mental mathematicsand more.
I hope it's useful, thank you for reading.
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At Learnopoly, Finn has championed a mission to deliver unbiased, in-depth reviews of online courses that empower learners to make well-informed decisions. With over a decade of experience in financial services, he has honed his expertise in strategic partnerships and business development, cultivating both a sharp analytical perspective and a collaborative spirit. A lifelong learner, Finn’s commitment to creating a trusted guide for online education was ignited by a frustrating encounter with biased course reviews.