Sleep hygiene in children: 10 tips to enhance it

We all need sleep and rest, and this action usually comes naturally at night, especially when we are very tired; but it is not only important to sleep, but also to have a deep, restful and quality sleep, and sleep the necessary hours.

For this, sleep hygiene is essential; This consists of all those guidelines, habits and measures that promote quality sleep, which enables adequate rest.

In childhood, all this is especially important; thus in this article we will talk about sleep hygiene in children, and we bring you up to 10 guidelines that promote it.

• Related article: "The 7 most important mental health effects of insomnia"

The importance of sleeping well)

As we have seen in the introduction, it is very important to maintain good sleep hygiene. to ensure a restful sleep, since sleep is a vital function necessary for many other functions.

Let's think about when we are excessively tired during the day, sleepy, dragging ourselves everywhere... Isn't it true that we don't perform the same? We work worse, we study worse... and we may even be in a bad mood, and even irritable.

This happens to adults, but also to children. That is why sleep hygiene in children should be promoted and taken care of very early. In addition, the sooner children acquire these habits, the sooner they will internalize them, and it will be easier for them to continue applying them in the future.

In this article we will focus on sleep hygiene in children, although most of these guidelines can be applied to adults as well.

Sleep hygiene in children: how to promote it and help them sleep

Let's see 10 guidelines to promote good sleep hygiene in children:

1. Maintain regular hours

Routines and schedules are essential pieces to promote good sleep hygiene in children. This means that the ideal is that the little ones go to sleep at the same time each day (or if it is not at the same time, at least at similar hours).

This should also be extrapolated to weekends. Routines structure the mind and body, and are essential for the body to end up associating that time with bedtime.

2. Avoid consumption of stimulants

Another guideline to promote sleep hygiene in children is to avoid the consumption of stimulant substances; This includes beverages that may contain caffeine, soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, etc.

Ideally, they should not drink these types of substances, or if they do, at least not very late in the day, much less before going to sleep.

3. Encourage light exposure in the morning

Exposure to bright light in the morning is known to speed up sleep at night, so incorporating this habit into your little one's routine can also help them sleep better. Besides, if the light is natural, much better.

4. Avoid TV, tablets, mobiles...

The light emitted by devices such as tablets, mobiles and others, is highly inadvisable when one wants to fall asleep, because they produce just the opposite effect: "wake up" and activate the body and mind.

So, especially in children's sleep hygiene, it is strongly discouraged that they be "hooked" on these devices just before going to sleep; if they use them, let it be at a reasonable time, for example until five or six in the afternoon.

5. avoid video games

In line with the previous guideline, the use of video games before going to sleep is also discouraged, because tend to excite and activate them (make them "alert", just the opposite of what is needed to sleep).

6. The bed, to sleep

It seems something very absurd, but sometimes we "sin" in this pattern and we do not realize it. The organism, mentally, and also physiologically, must associate the bed exclusively with sleep; it is because of that if the little ones, in addition to sleeping in the bed, also play in it, eat, watch movies or other things, this can create real difficulties at the time of going to sleep and falling asleep.

Because? Because your body no longer associates the bed with sleeping, but with many other situations, which makes sleep difficult. This is a matter of classical conditioning (where certain stimuli and responses are paired in "X" way).

• You may be interested in: "The 10 best tricks to sleep better (endorsed by Psychology)"

7. Do not use the TV to fall asleep

Another guideline that we propose to promote sleep hygiene in children, related to some previous ones that mention new technologies, is to avoid using the TV to fall asleep.

Logically, you should not get drastic and avoid TV at all costs (because there are children even those who do well), but moderate its use. If they can fall asleep with something else, better (for example with a book), because sometimes the TV activates them instead of relaxing them.

8. Create an environment that facilitates sleep

It's common sense; We sleep better in environments where we feel comfortable and at ease, in terms of temperature, position, clothing...

It is because of that It is very important to take care of the environment where we sleep (ie, in this case the child's room); this includes adjusting the temperature of the room, encouraging silence, that the child wear appropriate clothing (neither too tight nor too "wide"), etc.

On the other hand, There are children who like a little soft music, or sounds that imitate the waves of the sea, the wind, the rain, etc. For this, there are applications that can be useful (check the Google Store or App Store).

9. Encourage regular physical exercise

Practicing sports is great in many ways: one of them, it relaxes us! Although it can activate us (especially depending on the sport), when a certain time has passed since training, we feel relaxed and our body appreciates it.

So regular physical exercise can also promote good sleep hygiene in children.

10. practice by example

Sometimes, to learn according to what habits, there is nothing better than a good model; That is why, as fathers and mothers, practicing by example can help our children a lot in this regard.

This means apply the above guidelines and have the children watch it, since in addition to modeling, it can help our children become aware of the importance of these habits and internalize them more easily.

On the other hand, practicing by example also involves creating a calm and quiet environment at home from mid-afternoon until bedtime.

Bibliographic references:

• Horse (2002). Manual for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of psychological disorders. Vol. 1 and 2. Madrid. 21st century (Chapters 1-8, 16-18).
• JJG Galve. (2009). Tips and aids to sleep well. Naturopathic Medicine, 3(2): 72-76.
• P David, M Blanco, M Pedemonte, R Velluti et al. (2008). Sleep medicine.- Chile: Editorial Mediterraneo.