Many of you have heard that having a nightly routine before bed improves the quality of our sleep. If you didn't know about it, it's true! Some may already be yawning at how boring routines are, while others may wonder why it is essential to have a routine?
Having a sleep routine is essential at all ages since it allows us to make an organic transition between wakefulness and sleep, especially in young children. In addition, routines help to synchronize our internal biological clock, allowing us to function better at all times.
On the other hand, having a nighttime routine helps improve sleep quality as they:
√ Increase the total number of hours of sleep.
√ Decrease the time it takes to fall asleep.
√ Reduce sleep problems at night.
√ Reduce the number of awakenings that occur throughout the night.
In addition, with children, routines help reduce behavioural problems (tantrums, resistance, etc.) before sleeping and during the day and promote better sleep quality,
Therefore, if you or your children do not have a nighttime routine, you have to start designing one and practicing it every day ... including Saturdays and Sundays!
Which routine you decide to follow will depend on your preferences and what you find compelling and enjoyable; there is NO magic formula that works for everyone! However, bear in mind that all activities carried out before sleeping should be relaxing and related to sleep. Typical examples of these kinds of activities are:
♦ Put on pyjamas.
♦ Brush your teeth, clean your face, etc.
♦ Take a bath… which can be made special with bath salts; not everything has to be
boring 😉.
♦ Read/tell stories (depending on age).
♦ Listen to relaxing music.
♦ Meditate → My favourite application to meditate is HeadSpace; I always recommend
it, and the best thing is that now they have meditation guides for children.
Ideally, within a nighttime routine, you should avoid intense activities (running, playing soccer) and everything that involves emotional content (news, scary movies, etc.).
Finally, the routine duration will depend on your preferences; however, between 30 and 60 minutes is ideal.
What activities do you like to include in your nightly routines? Let me know in the comments below. ↓
Sweet dreams!
References
Mindell J.A., Li A.M., Sadeh, A., Kwon, R. & Goh, D.Y.T. (2015). Bedtime routines for young children: a dose-dependent association with sleep outcomes. SLEEP, 38, (5), 717–722. doi: 10.5665/sleep.4662
Christodulu, K.V. & Durand, M.V. (2004). Reducing Bedtime Disturbance and Night Waking Using Positive Bedtime Routines and Sleep Restriction. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19, (3), 130 – 139.
McGinn, A. (2017). Why bedtime routines are crucial for children [Blog-post]. Recuperado de la URL: www.goodnightsleepsite.com
Dautovich, N. (s.f.). Day in, day out – The Importance of Routine in our Daily Life [Blog-post]. Recuperado de la URL: www.sleep.org