Today’s digital era may be quite progressive, but parents are aware of its harmful effects. Kids remain glued to their mobile phones and computer screens for hours and do not sleep timely. All these things are spoiling the sleep cycle of children.
As children are in their developing phase, every positive or negative change in their lifestyle will affect their academic performance. That is why maintaining a good sleep cycle is very important, especially for children.
A good bedtime routine can be a great help for parents who are concerned about their children’s sleep cycles. In this blog, you will get deep information about why a bedtime routine is important for a child and how you should implement it.
What is a bedtime routine?
A bedtime routine is a procedure that is done every day before sleeping. This routine helps children get good sleep. Good sleep has many advantages, like reducing stress, keeping you healthy, and improving your work efficiency. The same goes for children. It keeps them lively and healthy and positively supports their academic performance.
An ideal bedtime routine includes brushing teeth, reading storybooks, or listening to a lullaby before sleeping.
Why is a bedtime routine important for a child’s education?
Now that you have come to know what a bedtime routine is, you should also learn about its benefits. Besides ensuring a healthy sleep cycle, a good bedtime routine also improves the bond between children and their parents. Apart from this, here are some other reasons why a bedtime routine is important for a child:-
- Early sleepers By following the bedtime routine, children get into the habit of sleeping early. Due to this habit, they do not face any problems waking up in the morning. This helps them maintain a good schedule for their studies.
- Cognition power Cognition refers to the ability to think, understand, and reason. With the help of a bedtime routine, children’s brains get enough time to rest. Since children’s brains develop 90% in childhood itself, it is very important to give them rest.
- Good academic performance It has been found that the academic performance of children who have the habit of following a bedtime routine is better than that of other children. The reason for this is that these children do not get distracted by sleep while studying.
- Socialisation Good sleep maintains goodwill among people. Irritability has been seen in children who do not get good sleep, and this behaviour hampers study routines.
- Good health During sleep, the cells present in the body become active to perform the functions of growth, repair, and development. A healthy brain is important for good academic results. Insufficient sleep causes problems like indigestion, fatigue, depression and other serious diseases.
When to introduce a bedtime routine to your child?
The earlier the bedtime routine is started, the more benefits your kids can get from it. A baby should get about 17-18 hours of sleep.
Getting young children into the habit of a bedtime routine is also helpful during their preschool years. They learn and understand things quickly. If you have not paid attention to your infant’s bedtime routine, you can inculcate this habit in them even in their initial kindergarten years. It is never too late. However, early implementation is suggested for the overall well-being of the kids.
How to set a bedtime routine for a baby?
Small children do not know how to differentiate between night and day. For this reason, children sleep or wake up at any time. A bedtime routine helps them understand the difference between day and night and also strengthens their biological clock. Below is some essential information on how to set a bedtime routine for babies:-
- Massage – A gentle massage helps babies sleep easily. You can massage your infants with some natural oil. By doing this, their muscles also get strengthened.
- Lullaby Singing a melodious lullaby to children before sleeping relaxes their minds and also increases the bond between mother and child. Music has a great effect on the brain. During research, when melodious music was played to the growing plants, their growth was faster than that of other plants.
- Warm water bath Sometimes, you can bathe children with lukewarm water before sleeping. A hot water bath is capable of inducing sleep.
- Playing – Parents can also play with their children during their bedtime routine. Playing makes babies tired, which induces sleep.
How to make a bedtime routine for toddlers?
Toddlers have the ability to differentiate between night and day compared to infants. They should get at least 11-14 hours of sleep; this helps them in their preschool education. Below are some practices that you can incorporate into your toddler’s bedtime routine:-
- Brushing Brushing before sleeping makes teeth stronger. It prevents the accumulation of dirt on the teeth.
- Bathing Bathing before sleeping relaxes the body and mind, which helps in falling asleep quickly.
- Reading books Parents can read stories to children before sleeping. This also increases their imagination power and concentration.
- Playing A lot of energy is wasted while playing. Due to this, children feel like taking a rest.
- Singing Parents can also add singing to their children’s bedtime routine. Singing poems also helps children sleep.
Some Dos and don’ts for the bedtime routine
- Follow the routine daily.
- Dim the lights before sleeping with the help of a night bulb.
- Do not put too much pressure on children to follow the routine.
- Add activities that your child enjoys to the bedtime routine.
- Avoid arguments at home; they affect small children.
- Bring good storybooks for children.
Small children are in their developing years. Hence, it is very important to pay attention to them. A good bedtime routine benefits them greatly in the long run. Good sleep does not allow children to fall victim to depression, increases concentration power and is also beneficial for academics. At Kangaroo Kids, we have designed our curriculum that encourages a good sleep cycle in children. Contact us today for admission!
