School Readiness – Getting Proper Rest
Put your child on a healthy sleeping pattern right away! In reality, this should never have stopped, although we understand it is tempting and easy during the Summer to give in.
Children need at least 8 to 10 hours of REM sleep each night. Children that do not get adequate sleep the night before tend to be groggy, grumpy, and thus have a harder time concentrating in class, not to mention tend to become more sensitive to social disputes. Sleep also contributes to a healthier immune system. You can help your child enter each school day with a more energetic and positive approach simply by making sure they get the right amount of sleep each night.
Here’s how to set a healthy sleeping pattern with your children:
1. Establish a set bedtime and wake time for the weekdays. Make sure that you specify that this time is non-negotiable.
2. Set up some rules for 1 hour prior to bed time. There are many things that can affect how well your children sleep at night. If you set up some ground rules, then you’ll see better sleeping habits:
Make sure they eat dinner no later than 1 hour prior to bed time. If they eat just before bed time, then chances are they will not fall asleep right away. Your child can have a warm glass of milk or some fruit just before bed if they are hungry.
Cut out all physical activities no later than 1 hour prior to bedtime. Children need adequate downtime to get their heart rate down.
Cut out any intense “stimulating” activities no later than 1 hour prior to bedtime. This includes video games and computers. Both can be very addictive and keep your child’s mind over-stimulated even after they’ve stopped.
3. Establish a 20 – 30-minute nightly “calm-down” bed time routine. The routine should include taking a bath, putting on their pajamas, reading, and other relaxing activities. TV viewing at bedtime is not recommended because it may affect your child’s ability to fall asleep.
4. Be sure that electronic toys (tablets, computers, phones, etc.) are inaccessible. If you think your child will not use them, you are wrong. We have seen multiple students and campers who have stayed up all night talking to friends or playing on screen time who were completely out of it when brought to us.
Again, children’s bodies are growing physically and mentally at an enormous rate and need maintenance (sleep). Without which their systems will suffer and break with health related illnesses.
*The bulk of this blog courtesy of our good friends at Atlanta Taekwondo and SKILLZ