Building Healthy Sleep Habits for Kids

It’s right after the most wonderful time of the year. The gifts have been opened. The carols have been sung. And the sleep schedules? Don’t even ask! Getting your kids to bed in a healthy manner and at a healthy time can be a huge challenge, especially following the excitement and irregularity of the holiday season. Here are a few tips for building healthy sleep habits for kids as we wind back up for the new year.

Practice good sleep hygiene

Practicing good sleep hygiene is a key step in building healthy sleep habits for kids. While a lot of various factors can fall under the “sleep hygiene” blanket, we’ll focus specifically on ensuring your child’s sleep environment is clean and comfortable.

The bed

Encourage your little one to make their bed in the mornings so it’s ready to sleep in at night. Highlight the importance of keeping toys, worn clothing, and other items off the bed to promote cleanliness.

Oral hygiene

One of those environments is your child’s oral hygiene. To learn more about how you can get your kids to practice proper oral hygiene before bed, check out our blog post: Ways to Get Kids Excited About Brushing Their Teeth

Bath time

Getting a bath before bed is of course hygienic, but also a good way to relax your child before bed. Have your child change into their specific nighttime clothes following their bath as an indication to both their mind and body that it’s time to sleep. This is also a good time to use the toilet to avoid your child from getting up in the middle of the night.

Set up a bedtime routine

Sleep hygiene ties into a bedtime routine, so this is the natural next step. Setting up a bedtime routine can include:

• Singing a lullaby
• Giving them their favourite stuffed animal
• Reading a story

These are healthy ways of indicating that it’s time for bed and getting your child to want to sleep. Try to avoid electronic devices around this time, and try to be as present with your child as possible. Depending on what works best for your little one and your family overall, you may also incorporate:

• White noise
• A humidifier
• Relaxing room spray

… among other relaxing techniques.

Stick to a schedule

Just like adults, children benefit from consistent sleeping and waking times. Consistent sleeping and waking times help program your child’s body in a regular pattern. Extra bonus: they help parents plan out their days better and give parents some time to themselves.

Promote safety and security

If your child fears sleeping in the dark, set up a night light in their room. Alternatively, you can set up smart lights in their room and schedule them to dim and brighten according to their sleeping and waking times.

Earn healthy sleep during the day

Just like adults, consuming a healthy diet and staying active throughout the day helps children earn healthy sleep. Getting fresh air and socializing are a huge part of this too.

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Kinder Buddies Oakville Child Care is a Quality First Daycare and Infant Care facility in Oakville, Ontario. We take care of children from the age of 6 weeks to 5 1/2 providing nutritious meals and fun activities all day long.