How To Maximise Your Children’s Sleep This Half Term!

As a parent you’re probably no stranger to worn-out children on the Sunday evening after the half term break.

Some call this ‘Sunday night syndrome’, others call it ‘Sunday fear’. Either way, it often occurs after having an eventful, fun-packed week and a sudden realisation that it’s time to go back to school.

As fun as half term can be for your little ones, it can also be detrimental to their sleep routines. This may leave your children dragging themselves back to school on Monday morning feeling drained.

That said, getting a good night’s sleep on a Sunday can boost their chances of a bright and productive week ahead.

Here are our top tips for helping you maximise your kids’ sleep this half term…

Keep to their regular bedtime schedule

It’s important to keep your children’s sleep routine consistent –  this includes weekends and school holidays!

Allowing them to sleep in – or stay up late – can damage the routine you’re trying to establish.

Turn off electronics

All electronics should be shut off or taken away at least an hour before bedtime to ensure a restful night’s sleep.

Not only are they mentally stimulating, the artificial light they emit tricks the brain into thinking it needs to stay awake as it associates light with daytime.

Keep them fit and healthy

A healthy diet combined with regular exercise will help your children wind down quicker at night.

A good quality diet has been proven to boost sleep and keeping your children active will ensure they’re worn out come bedtime.

Create an ideal sleep environment

Your children should associate their bed with sleep – not other types of activities.

If they enjoy spending time in their room during the daytime, try getting them a beanbag to sit in as they read or play video games. This way you can ensure that your bed is identified strictly with sleeping.

We hope this shows you just how important good quality restorative sleep is for your children.

The recommended amount of sleep for children is at least 10 hours to allow their brains to grow and develop, particularly at primary school age. As you’re probably already aware, when they don’t get enough sleep at night it can start to show during the day!

What do you do to ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep? Let us know on our Facebook page or Twitter.