Children need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep each night and getting to bed early enough to make this happen can be a challenge. The American Academy of Pediatrics outline several health concerns associated with lack of sleep in the pamphlet “Healthy Children, Back to School 2007” including anxiety, obesity, diabetes and ADHD.
Getting children up earlier is a challenging task, but getting to sleep at the proper time begins with how and when children wake up. Summer brings late sunsets and early sunrises and most children are up late and sleeping in later. Adjusting the morning routine can help children prepare for waking in time for school and will help set their internal clocks and make bedtimes even easier.
Morning Sun Helps Children Wake Up and Go to Sleep
Open shades in the morning sun will begins to wake a sleepy child. Manufacturers are now making alarm clocks that brighten room lights in the hour before waking. Early summer sunrises do the work of brightening rooms every day. The sunshine actually reminds the body that mornings are for waking. When sunshine hits the skin it initiates the process of creating melatonin, the hormone needed in the evening hours for getting to sleep.
Outside Activities Get Kids Moving for Better Sleep Later
It’s not enough just to wake up with the sun; kids need to be out in it as well. Getting children out into the sunlight during the morning hours doing activities such as walking, hiking, or playing sports will get their internal clocks regulated toward morning activity. It need not be a chore: with fun events kids will enjoy they won’t even know this is part of a plan to regulate their sleep patterns.
A Good Breakfast Helps Improve Sleep
Eating a balanced breakfast that includes a good source of protein within an hour of waking helps get the blood sugar balanced and starts the day right. Children who eat late, and especially those who move from sugary breakfast to sugar laden snack, often experience energy highs and lows associated with fluctuations in blood sugar. If they crash and rest during the afternoon, they will stay up later at night. Keeping energy levels constant during the day with regular meals and snacks that balance carbohydrates and proteins will allow children to keep active and busy so they will be tired later, at the proper bedtime.
Alarm Clocks Regulate Sleep Schedules
Even young children can and should use alarm clocks to wake themselves in the morning. This not only puts the responsibility where it should be, on them, but the consistency of waking each day at the same time will help their bodies get into a routine of wake and sleep time. Sleeping late one day and rising early the next can lead to frustrations at bedtime because the child’s body lacks regularity.
Getting to bed on time is only half the picture. How and when your child wakes up in part determines the energy levels and rhythms of the day. Getting things started right with sunshine, regularity, and a good breakfast can set patterns that affect bedtimes and sleep patterns.
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