What Time Should You Put Your Child to Bed?
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Forget everything you think you know about bedtime. Here’s expert advice on setting up a healthy sleep routine for your children, ensuring their well-being without compromise.
The Importance of a Consistent Bedtime
For children, a well-structured routine is not just a luxury—it’s essential. Dr. Daniel Golshevsky, a sleep expert and esteemed pediatrician, emphasizes that consistency is more crucial than duration. “Children thrive on predictability,” he states. A set bedtime enhances their emotional and physical well-being and boosts their cognitive functions.
From birth, babies develop a need for stability, which includes their sleep patterns. For toddlers under two, early bedtimes are often best. Once they outgrow naps, these times may be adjusted to suit their needs, sometimes requiring up to 11 consecutive hours of sleep. But what about parents who work late or manage after-school activities?
Dr. Golshevsky advises smart adaptations in such cases. “If an early routine doesn’t fit your lifestyle, a later one can also be effective, provided the child gets enough sleep.” He suggests planning ahead: preparing meals earlier, shortening bath times, or even skipping a bedtime story can help ensure a peaceful bedtime. A critical mistake, he notes, is putting a child to bed too tired, which can lead to night awakenings and early morning rises, disrupting the next day’s balance. But then, what is the ideal bedtime and ritual for your child? “For school-aged children, a bedtime around 7:00-7:30 PM is ideal,” reveals Dr. Golshevsky. For younger children, under two years old, “they do well, in my experience, with a bedtime between 6:30 and 7:00 PM,” he adds.
Creating a Conducive Sleep Environment
To promote falling asleep, the expert recommends predictable pre-sleep rituals: dimming the lights, banning screens an hour before bed, and ensuring the bedroom is comfortable with a suitable temperature. These habits help create an environment conducive to deep, restorative sleep. Clearly, adhering to these routines will make the days much more pleasant for both your little one and you.
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