How to help your child sleep well

31st January 2018

Did you know one of the best gifts you could give your child is the ability to sleep?

Sleep is the only thing we do that has the biggest positive overall impact on our bodies and our brain.

It is responsible for controlling our appetite and stablising our blood sugars, supporting our immune system and preventing infection. Helping us to learn both scholarly facts and motor skills by storing and making sense of our memories. Sleep enables us to keep our emotions on an even keel and make logical and creative decisions. Sleep in effect makes us happier, healthier and brighter.

Here are Millpond’s top tips to help your child sleep well

Get your routine right

30 to 40 minutes before your child goes to bed carry out the same series of steps every night – make this routine your bedtime ritual. Having a regular routine at about the same time every night means your child’s body will start to prepare for sleep as soon as you start this process.

The lead up to bedtime

About an hour before your child goes to sleep have quiet time. Tidy away the toys and turn off the TV. Research has shown light from computers, iPads etc. can interfere with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Food for sleep

If your child is hungry at this time, avoid sugary foods and drinks. Instead offer foods that contain the amino acid tryptophan that causes sleepiness. The best snacks should contain carbohydrates and protein and are found in foods such as chicken or turkey with brown bread, peanut butter on whole grain cereal or low sugar cereal and milk.

Warm bath

Have a warm, quiet andrelaxing bath lasting no longer than 10 minutes.

Keeping the bath to a maximum of 10 minutes means bath time doesn’t become a stimulating play time. The added bonus is coming out of the warm water allows the body to cool quickly triggering the sleep hormone melatonin.

Straight to bed

Then go straight into your child’s bedroom; going back into the living area at this time will lose the focus and magic of the routine and make your child think it’s time to play again.