For some of you, February marks the first time your child will attend school. Some of us have been here before but many of us will be feeling worried about how our children will cope (me included!).
With only a couple of weeks of holiday left, making sleep your priority will enable your child to have a smoother start to the year. Preparing your child needs to start tonight.
1) The Bedtime Routine – what you need to know.
Length: If the bedtime routine has become quite relaxed over the summer, it is time to get back on track. The bedtime routine should take about 30-40mins tops otherwise it can drag out and your child will become overtired. An overtired child will either struggle to fall asleep and/or have night wake ups. Some children once overtired can experience night terrors.
Steps: Beginning the bedtime routine with a bath or shower as this can enable your child to unwind from the day’s events. A wash can relax the body, triggering the mind to get ready for sleep.
A simple bedtime routine would look something like this:
- Toilet then bath or shower
- Brush teeth
- Pjs on and dim lights
- Bed and book (limited to 1 or 2 depending on the length)
- Kiss and a cuddle
- Lights out then leave
Download your free bedtime routine chart here
Location: Where the routine takes place is just as important as the steps involved. Trying to keep the routine within the bathroom and bedroom environment creates a smoother transition into bed. It also reduces the risk of a bedtime battle as many children feel bedtime is a punishment because the fun continues without them.
2) Bedtime – Setting the ideal time for bed.
The first thing to keep in mind is that it will take about 15-20minutes (on average) for your child to fall asleep. So knowing that, if the time for bed is 8pm, then really your child is sleeping from 8:20pm. For some children this is too late. The old phrase “sleep begets sleep” means if your child is not getting enough sleep, they will run a ‘sleep debt’. This can cause night wakings and/or early rising and night terrors. Your child will sleep less even though in reality they need more.
Say over the summer 8pm has been working fine as your child has been sleeping later in the morning, you still need to consider that school will be starting soon, and your child will need to be up earlier in the morning. Jumping immediately to a 7pm may mean that your child will just lay awake until 8pm anyway. Your child may not lie there at all, but instead decide to come out multiple times trying to burn off the last bit of energy.
I recommend over the next few weeks to slowly push bedtime closer to 7/7:30pm. You can do this by moving bedtime forward every 3-5nights by 10-15mins. It would look something like this:
- Nights 1-3 7:50pm bedtime
- Nights 3-5 7:40pm bedtime
- Nights 6-9 7:30pm bedtime
How quickly you alter the time for bed depends on how your child copes with change. Slower is ideal because adjusting your body clock takes time.
3) Daytime Naps – how to cope.
If your child still takes a daytime nap, you may want to go a day here and there without one before school starts. You are testing the waters really because you do not want the first day of school to be the first no nap day! This is to prepare your child for long days at school with little to no rest time. On those days make sure bedtime is super early.
If you feel your child is ready to drop the nap completely and you are not sure how, download my Nap Guide here.
Other considerations…
Starting the new school year is full of excitement (kids) and nerves (parents!). Enough sleep is crucial for a smooth transition. You child is going to be exhausted for the first few weeks so making sleep a priority before school starts is key.
If you know that your child is not a great sleeper, it may be time to seek help. Research suggests that,
“Sleep plays an important role in memory, both before and after learning a new task. Lack of sleep affects mood, motivation (and) judgement.”(HealthySleep)
A well-rested child is one who is open to learning, accepting of new experiences and willing to play with others.
If you are experiencing sleep troubles, book in your free 15min consultation with me at www.sleepytime.net.au/contact
Sleep well,
Child Sleep Consultant for Sleepytime
Reference: www.healthysleep.med.harvard.edu
