How to Encourage Good Sleep Habits in Children & Teens

 
 

WHY IS SLEEP IMPORTANT FOR KIDS?

Sleep is vitally important for all areas, but adequate sleep plays a crucial role in:

  • the ability to focus

  • emotional wellbeing

  • learning and memory

  • resiliency

  • motor skill development

  • memory consolidation 

  • sensory processing

WHAT CAN ‘NOT ENOUGH’, OR ‘LOW-QUALITY’ SLEEP LOOK LIKE?

  • hyperactivity

  • grumpiness and irritability

  • increased sensitivity to noise

  • slower reaction times

  • poor endurance/stamina in physical tasks

  • mood swings

  • sleepiness during the day

SO HOW DO I GET MY CHILD TO SLEEP WELL?

Routines

We are creatures of habit, which is great because we can use it to our advantage. A consistent bedtime routine is one of the best ways to help a child get adequate sleep. Kids should try and go to bed at the same time every night (even if they don’t fall asleep straight away). You can be flexible with holidays, weekends, or special events, but try to make sure the changed bedtime isn’t drastically different from the norm. Whatever routines you choose, try to do the same ones as often as possible so your child knows what to expect.

Make use of the sun

Our body clocks are set by the earth’s natural light cycles (known as circadian rhythms). The sun provides different types of light which helps tell us when to start getting ready for sleep or when to wake up for the day. Something as simple as spending ten minutes outside at 4pm can help tell your child’s brain to start getting ready for sleep.

Limit screen use in the evening before bed

Screens emit a similar light to the sun that tells us to wake up. Sometimes it looks like it is helping the child get to sleep by calming them, but this is a short-term solution and can affect their sleep quality in the long term.

To nap or not to nap?

Naps during the day can be essential for certain ages, but a hindrance to good quantity and quality sleep in others. As a general guideline, daytime naps need to be adjusted for the child’s age and development stage. Naps in the late afternoon, or extra-long naps can impact negatively on the child’s sleep later that night, and naps should be lessened as a child grows.

Temperature

Studies show that we sleep the most restfully at between 18-20 degrees, so try to have your child’s bedroom on the cooler side before sleep.

Light

Make your child’s bedroom as dark as possible (with a nightlight if needed).

A snack before bedtime

Foods containing a chemical called tryptophan can help us feel sleepy by increasing melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep. Foods with tryptophan includes:

bananas, milk, turkey, chicken, cheese, nuts and seeds, red meat, eggs, oatmeal, fish.


Keep the hour before bedtime as relaxing as possible

Become as boring as possible at bedtime- lower the volume of the TV, turn off unnecessary lights, speak in quiet voices. If kids aren’t interested in what you do after they go to bed, they’re less likely to get up and try to join the fun.

 
 

Sensory strategies that help promote sleep can include:

  • Drops of calming scents, such as lavender and sandalwood, on the pillow

  • Calming scents placed around the most-used areas of the house before bedtime, such as the loungeroom.

  • ‘Rough and tumble’ play before bed- this acts as a bonding activity and helps your child to release some energy before bed.

  • A warm shower or bath before bed (occasionally this can work in the opposite way by waking your child up, so do what works for your child).

  • A heavy blanket or blanket they find soothing, like mum’s fluffy bathrobe or a soft rug.

Avoid foods with caffeine, such as chocolate, for 4-6 hours before bedtime.

Check for any medical conditions that may be impacting your child’s sleep.

Conditions that can affect sleep include breathing disorders, severe anxiety, pain, epilepsy and movement during sleep. Children with neurological conditions, such as autism and intellectual disability, have a higher prevalence of sleep disturbances and may need formal assessment.  

Self-soothing strategies

Children will often make use of soothing strategies to help them sleep, so don’t be too alarmed if your child likes to suck their thumb, use a pacifier, or rock themselves before going to sleep.

Try to give the least parental assistance as possible for your child to get to sleep.

Children who fall asleep without it are often more likely to get themselves back to sleep if they wake during the night. Children with developmental delays that need their parent to be close to fall asleep/go back to sleep, or have separation anxiety or poor self-soothing strategies, may need assessment and tailored sensory strategies to assist with independent sleep.

TIPS FOR TEENS

 
A young child in bed lying on her stomach trying to get to sleep
 

  • Follow regular sleep and wake times, so your body gets into a comfortable rhythm (and it’s not so distressing when your alarm goes off).

  • Try to get at least 8.5-9 hours of sleep per night- this will help your brain to integrate new information and help stabilize moods.

  • Keep lights as dim as possible at night to help the onset of sleep. Use natural light in the morning to help you become alert- open curtains, sit near sunny windows while eating breakfast.

  • Make sure mattresses and pillows are comfortable.

  • Avoid caffeine before bed, such as iced coffees (and regular coffee), energy drinks, tea, and chocolate.

  • Complete exercise a few hours before bed, so your body has time to relax.


If you are concerned about your child’s sleep patterns, talk to your GP.

For useful sleep resources, please visit:

 
Bec Freeman