Having enough sleep is an absolute MUST for children. It helps them develop in lots of ways; psychologically, socially and physically. Young ones are frail and get exhausted easily. The result of exhaustion is that children lose interest in various activities that they should be busy with.

For example, consider a scenario where your child does not sleep for the ideal eight hours every person needs. The next morning he/she will be drowsy, dull, irritable, less cooperative and mentally slow. In school the child’s performance will be below your expectations. Getting fewer hours of sleep will subsequently lead to his/her performance going towards poorer grades in school.

With constant poor performance, knowing how upset you are about it will demoralize the child. This situation will result in a child with low self esteem and next to zero confidence. The change in mood will result in a permanent bad temperament and bad attitude in the child. As a parent, you will be disappointed and hurt seeing your child grow into something you never wanted.

What to do?

You need to inculcate good sleeping habits into your child. This will save him/her from the scenario described above.

How to Introduce Good Sleeping Habits?

The best time to begin introducing good sleeping habits, is when the baby is days old. They need to get into a routine that suits your. If you are a house wife, you cannot compromise your husband’s sleep with a crying baby all night. So, train the baby from day one!

1. Start by making sure the child is comfortable and ready for bed time by 8 pm: Feed the baby or child and prepare him/her with proper comfortable night wears. Once you make a routine of this and manage it for a minimum of two weeks, the child will adjust to it. This will also mean that the child will wake up early and be fresh. Stick to the routine!

2. Turn off all electronics: Kids love watching TV, playing games on the computer or listening to music. Worse, even five year olds love playing with a phone. Turn them all off and make it a firm rule.

3. Create the atmosphere for bed time: Make them brush their teeth and comb their hair. These are bed time rituals that create the mood to sleep before you can put the child to sleep. Once you have ushered the child to his/her room, turn the lights down or off. Tug the child into the bed, and read them a story.

4. Avoid sugar rich foods close to bed time: It’s a proven fact that chocolates and sugar rich foods make children hyperactive. Avoid giving them this close to bed time.
Good sleeping habits are the key to proper child development and to his/her success at various levels.

– Guest author Mike Neil enjoys blogging about child development and education. Over the last 4 years, he has written and published numerous articles on the topics.