How to get them to go to bed when it's time
Monday through Friday, play get up early and get up early. A task not always simple and that implies that the time to go to bed has to be adequate for children to get enough sleep.
At this point we must work so that the little ones go to bed on time and get them to sleep the necessary time. In this way parents will ensure that their children rest and face the school day with energy. We offer some tips to succeed in this mission.
How to establish a sleep routine
1. Set an hour. You have to choose an hour from which, without protest, the child has to go to bed. You have to make children understand that this moment will be unmovable. The set time will depend on the customs of each culture, the time of dinner and breakfast. As a general rule, children of infant stages should sleep between 11 and 12 hours. In primary education it can be reduced to 10 or 11 hours and in adolescence they will sleep between 8 and 9, but never less.
2. Moment of leisure before this time Before going to bed, the child can enjoy a fun time with board games or reading a story. In this way, the child will be calm before going to sleep. It is key to avoid that this time is destined to videogames or television, because we will be activating the brain of the child and make it difficult for him to feel the need to go to sleep.
3. Offer security. Some children may be afraid to be alone at night. To make this fear disappear, children's rooms can be equipped with "security" elements such as lamps, stuffed animals and even a flashlight to be used in the dark so they can go to the service in the middle of the night.
4. Firmness first of all. It may be that on some occasion the child wants to see a series or a movie that is broadcast on television. But you have to be firm at this time and not allow any swap. It should be explained to the child that he has to rest and at another time he will perform these activities.
5. Do not link the bed with the punishment. Going to bed is something necessary, healthy, good, not a punishment. For this reason, comments such as "you behave badly, you go to bed" should be avoided, since it will be transmitted that sending the child to sleep is an answer to their bad behavior and therefore will not help to create this habit. .
6. Tiring the child. If during the day the child has gotten tired practicing exercise and doing various activities, it will be easier for him to be tired at the end of the day and want to go to sleep. Staying busy during the day will create the perfect weather for the night.
7. On the sofa does not sleep. There are children who, after a hard day, fall asleep on the sofa. The children have to be explained that they sleep in bed and that when they feel tired, they should retire to their room to enjoy the dream.
8. Avoid copious dinners. A heavy dinner supposes a heavy digestion. A light meal will help you to better reconcile your sleep without feeling bad for having eaten too much. If we can organize our schedules, it is good to have a break time between the time of dinner and the time to go to bed.
Damián Montero
