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Sleep Tips, Tricks and Links
Parents, are you needing a few tips for getting your kiddos off to sleep and making sure that it’s enough sleep? We got ‘em. You probably know these 12 tips already. But they really do work!
12 Sure-Fire-Kid-Sleep-Tips for Parents
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Establish a regular going-to-bed time. Try to keep to it. Bodies of all ages really like that.
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Create a regular bedtime routine. Bodies really like that, too.
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Limit screen time before bed. An hour before is best. Try a book instead! (Hint, hint.) Maybe your child’s bedroom can be a screen-free zone…?
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To strengthen the link between the bedroom and sleep, try having your kiddos do their homework and other evening activities somewhere else in the house, if possible. I know, easier said than done…
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Try to keep to a pretty-similar weekday sleep schedule on weekends too, if possible. Our bodies like that predictability.
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Don’t over-do your kids’ extracurricular activities. I know, we all try to tire our little-ish ones out, each day, so they sleep more quickly and soundly, and that usually works well. But if a child has too many commitments, she/he/they may carry worry and stress to bed at night.
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Keep your child’s room dark and cool for sleeping, if possible. A nightlight is fine, but a mostly-dark, slightly cooler room is best for the sleepy brain and body.
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A child’s bedroom should be quiet. A white noise machine can sometimes effectively mask loud ambient noises nearby.
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Avoid large meals before bedtime. This is true for adults too.
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Brushing teeth and washing faces can also be a nice bedtime ritual that really helps me sleep. I go to bed feeling clean, at least from my neck up. Sometimes a warm bath helps too.
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Make sure your kids know that they are truly and deeply loved. I know. We all try to do that every day, I know. But if there has been family or friendship tension during the day, make sure to forgive and forget before bed.
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Do your best. No parent is perfect, thank heavens.
What are some sleepy links for you to find out more snoozy stuff?
The Cleveland Clinic - Is Your Child Getting Enough Sleep? Plus, tips for a smoother bedtime
Where did the Night-night, Body technique for getting to sleep come from?
So, where exactly did the idea for saying “night-night” to body parts—as a way for kids and grown-ups to relax and get to sleep more easily—come from anyway? A great question.
I’m sure it’s been around since caveman days, but more recently, as the link below shares, it was specifically developed to help very tired pilots relax and sleep, in England, during World War 2.
Brave pilots were flying dangerous missions back-to-back, and despite being bone tired, their adrenalin was so revved up when they returned to base, they couldn’t get to sleep in the short time they had, before they had to fly off again on another mission. Many flyers were dying and making mistakes because they were too tired. The US Navy developed a technique for getting them to relax and sleep within two minutes.
Their technique started at the tippy top and went down to tippy toes. Ours, in “Night-night, Body” goes in the opposite direction, but works equally well, according to two brilliant scientific experts in the field—um, that would be Pete and me. Give it a try, apple pie!