Helping Kids With Summer Sleep Problems
Prevent Summer From Interrupting Children's Sleep
May 23, 2009
The bright sun and sounds of summer can cause poor sleep for kids. Bedrooms filled with light and inviting sounds from outside can have a negative impact on children's sleep. When the sky is bright and the world is noisy, it takes kids longer to fall asleep and it is harder for them to stay asleep in the morning. Older children, adults, and even the birds enjoy the chance to stay awake longer but younger children who need more sleep become distracted by the activity outside their windows.
Children's Sleep Can Be Improved with Room Darkening Blinds
Sleep problems and an abundance of sunlight can go hand in hand because sunlight can interfere with the body's natural sleep process. The human body produces a hormone called melatonin to help bring on sleep. According to Judith A. Owens and Jodi A. Mindell in their coauthored book, Take Charge of Your Child's Sleep, [Marlow & Company, 2005] "exposure to light in the evening slows the body's production of melatonin and makes it more difficult to fall asleep. The same effect of light exposure on melatonin in the morning has the helpful effect of waking you up." Thus, the summer sun can interfere with melatonin production and create sleep problems for kids by preventing sleep at night and encouraging an earlier than necessary wakening.
Room darkening blinds can lead to better sleep for kids by allowing the body to produce melatonin without the interference of sunlight. Room darkening blinds are available for purchase in home improvement stores as well as through various online stores. Popular brands include Bali and Hunter Douglas.
Quiet Sleep Problems With White Noise
Sleep problems that children experience in the summer can also be related to the sounds of summer. Evening traffic, lawn mowers, chirping birds, and the chatting of grown ups on the patio can make it difficult for children to settle down for sleep. How can they sleep when they feel they are missing out on so much outside?
Use a white noise machine to create a constant, soothing sound that will block out all the interference that would otherwise prevent sleep for kids. Sometimes referred to as relaxation machines or soundscape machines, such devices are plugged in and create a soothing constant sound that will mask environmental noise. Look for a white noise machine in department stores and online.
Cut Sleep Problems With a Predictable Bedtime Routine
Kids thrive on predictability and this is never more true than at bedtime. Every parent knows the importance of bedtime consistency with babies, but the rituals often seem to diminish as children get older. Sleep problems can improve when the buildup to bedtime is the same each night.
Try establishing (or reestablishing) a bedtime routine to help eliminate sleep problems. A typical routine looks something like the following:
- Take a bath or shower
- Brush teeth
- Put on pajamas
- Turn off bright lights
- Close room darkening blinds
- Turn on a softly lit lamp
- Get into bed
- Read a story
- Turn off lamp
- Turn on white noise machine
While summer can bring sleep problems for children, applying tactics such as darkening the room and supplying constant white noise can encourage healthy sleeping patterns in children. If these strategies are not enough to achieve proper sleep for kids, packing more physical activity into the day may also help. Schedule trips to local playgrounds, take long walks, and spend time swimming to help tire children out so that they are ready for bed at night.
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