It’s not likely your child is going to understand the importance of getting a good night’s sleep.
In all likelihood, their focus is going to be on enjoying as much of life’s fun moments as they possibly can.
Sleep is nothing more than something mommy and daddy wants them to do.
When you find yourself battling with your child to help them get the sleep they need, you might have to get creative.
In case you need a little help finding some DIY methods for getting your child to sleep better, here’s a few suggestions.
Feed Them Evening Snacks That Promote Sleep
Kids use up a lot of energy during the day.
For that reason, it’s appropriate to give them a bedtime snack to get a little something in their tummy. However, what you give your child would likely affect their sleep on way or another.
With this in mind, you absolutely want to avoid chocolate, foods with sugar and caffeine products.
What you do want to give them are foods that are rich in magnesium, melatonin and tryptophan.
Both of these byproducts help the brain produce serotonin, which is a critical neurotransmitter that signals to the body it’s time to sleep.
Snacks rich in these byproducts include nuts, fruits and dairy products.
Create Optimum Sleeping Environment
The human body, child or adult, is programmed to sleep better in certain environments.
First, the room should be dark.
If your child has issues with the dark, a strategically place nightlight should help resolve the issue.
You’ll also want to make sure the room’s temperature is cool enough to keep your child’s body comfortable.
Once the room is cool enough, you’ll want to be careful to make sure the bedding isn’t so heavy that it offsets the effect of the room’s temperature.
Finally, you’ll want to make sure your child has comfortable clothing in which to sleep.
Design a Bedtime Routine and Enforce It
Kids function better if they have a routine they can follow.
If you are going to design a bedtime routine, it should include a standard bath time, brushing of the teeth, a specific time when it’s lights out and a specific target when it’s time to awake.
Regarding morning time, it might be a good idea to not have a different awakening time on weekends.
They can use the extra time for more fun activities.
Shutdown Access to Electronic Devices
Kids here in 2020 have too much access to their electronic devices.
Even if you are good with that during the day, you need to be aware that the blue waves put off by electronic devices can interfere with the brain’s production of serotonin.
Your best option is to shut down your child’s access to electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime.
Try Reputable Sleeping Aids for Children
If you can check all the above boxes and your child still doesn’t get enough sleep, there are products, prescription and nonprescription, that you might want to give a try.
Before you take this step, you might want to consider speaking with your pediatrician.
There’s always the possibility your child might have a sleeping disorder.