Sleep Health

Therapy Tips on Supporting Your Child’s Sleep

The average human spends a third of their life sleeping. From birth, sleep is a central component to development, a time the body spends developing and growing. And we’ve all experienced the deficit a lack of sleep can bring. Developing consistent habits for getting enough sleep is crucial to our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

If your child is experiencing persistent sleep issues that are affecting their mental health or behavior, our Child Therapy services at Decade2Connect can provide additional support and strategies.

Lack of sleep in children specifically can have significant negative effects on their health, behavior, and performance in school. Especially as children are growing, the rest is a crucial time of development and growth. Seeing your child suffer from lack of sleep can be hard but there are ways to support them and restore their sleep. Here are some tips on what to do if your child isn’t sleeping:

Establish a

Bedtime Routine

A lot of sleep problems come from a lack of consistency. It’s important to create a consistent bedtime routine that includes relaxing activities such as reading, taking a warm bath, or listening to soothing music. Sit with your child to create a routine individualized to their needs and desires. This routine serves as a valuable transition from daytime to sleep. Another important part of this routine is setting a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.

Limit Screen Time

The blue light on phones has been detrimental to our sleep. Furthermore, if your child has their smartphone in their room, you have no control over their use of it past their bedtime. It’s common for kids to be up well into the middle of the night scrolling on social media or spending time on their phone. Limit your child’s screen time, especially before bedtime, even keeping it out of their bedroom while they sleep.

Encourage

Regular Exercise

When our bodies are tired, it’s much easier to fall asleep. Regular exercise during the day can help promote better sleep at night. As a parent, it’s important to consider how the activities they’re engaging in during the day are contributing to their sleep, or lack thereof.

Remember that every child is different, and what works for one child may not work for another. Nevertheless, we all need consistent sleep; we can’t function without it! It may take time to establish good sleep habits, so be patient and persistent in your efforts to help your child get the sleep they need. If you need additional support, please reach out to Decade2Connect. We understand the mental health concerns that come with lack of sleep and are here to support you and your child.