How to Establish a Good "Sleep Hygiene"

Sleeping is vital to life. Lack of sleep could disrupt people's daily routine. In the case of children, experts have warned that bad sleeping habits can have varying effects. 

However, for some, transitioning into sleep can be difficult. That is why having pre-bedtime routines can ease this transition. 

Also, a good "sleep hygiene" can help children and parents improve their health. 

Here are some of the tips parents may use to improve the sleep hygiene of their kids:

Give children an advance notice.

Because a child always has a busy day, they sometimes do not know when it is already time for bed. Being very young, they also do not have a sense of time, so when they say "five more minutes," they sometimes have no idea how long or short that is. 

Some parents give their children a warning through the sound of a kitchen timer. Other parents use other bedtime routines to remind their children that it is already time for their bard. One example is dressing them up for bed could be a way to indicate that bedtime is near.

Give your kids a nice warm bath.

A nice warm bath is not just refreshing. The good thing about having a bath at least one or two hours before bedtime is that it raises the temperature of the body. That makes kids sleepy. 

Research from Cornell Medical University shows that taking a bath can increase one's core temperature; this helps a person relax.

Also, playing with bath toys can help kids relax. 

Set a schedule and stick with it.

One of the best ways to establish good sleeping hygiene is to make sure it stays as a routine. Every person has a body clock. Some people call the internal clock as the circadian rhythm. 

A child's body clock easily adjusts to sleeping routines, especially if parents will adhere to it. The key here is consistency.

Be mindful of what kids eat and drink before bedtime.

It is okay to offer snacks to kids before they sleep. However, make sure that these foods or drinks do not contain any caffeine because caffeine does not help in inducing sleep. Instead, kids should eat a small portion of carbohydrates and protein. These kinds of food can help prompt sleep. Carbohydrates like a small portion of bread and protein like cheese can be a good set of snacks before sleeping. Protein can help to maintain sugar levels until breakfast the following morning.

But when kids are offered snacks, they should also be obliged to brush their teeth before sleeping.

Keep the "Good nights" brief.

When saying "Good night" to kids, it should only be when parents are already about to leave the room. But experts say that parents should be sure that they are really leaving the room and are not coming back when their kids call them. That is because it may send the wrong signal to kids - that the parents are not serious about sleeping at that time.