Being tough on bedtime makes kids ‘smarter, happier, and reduces the risk of tantrums’
BEING tough on bedtime makes kids cleverer and happier, a study suggests.
Scans revealed primary school children who do not get enough sleep have smaller and less developed brains.
Scientists at Colorado State University say family routines are key to youngsters sleeping well.
Parents should try to get the family together for dinner, read to their kids and put them to bed at the same time each night, they said.
Study author Professor Emily Merz said: “Less consistent family routines and greater unpredictability may increase children’s stress and interfere with their sleep.
“Shorter sleep was significantly associated with reduced thickness in some brain regions and smaller volume of the amygdala, a brain region key to emotion processing.”
Prof Merz said the missing brain cells could mean tired kids have “greater susceptibility to negative emotions”.
It suggests children who go to bed on time have healthier emotions and fewer tantrums.
They also develop more nerves in the brain’s frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, which are vital for language, memory and the senses, the study found.
Sleep is key for the brain to clear out waste products and rest to improve its ability to absorb information in the day.
The NHS says five to nine-year-olds should get 10 to 11 hours of shut-eye per night – an 8pm bedtime if they need to be up at 7am for school.
But millions in Britain – at least one in four – do not get enough, according to the World Health Organization.
Promoting healthy sleep may support brain development in children and change their lives
Professor Emily Merz
Many stay up late playing video games or watching videos and research shows they lose the equivalent of an entire night’s kip every week because of time spent on screens at night.
Prof Merz’s study, in the journal Brain and Behavior, quizzed 94 families with children aged five to nine about their home lives and scanned the kids’ brains.
On average those with irregular routines slept less and had smaller brains, it found.
Prof Merz added: “Childhood is a sensitive period in development when environmental experiences can have powerful and lasting influences on the brain.
“Promoting healthy sleep may support brain development in children and change their lives.”
10 tips to get your child to sleep on time
1. Get started asap
“Nine days is the average time it takes for a post school holiday bedtime routine to stick,” says Silentnight’s sleep expert Hannah Shore.
“But starting the routine a few days before school will still help.
“By introducing the routine early, your child’s body will start producing the necessary chemicals and sleep-promoting hormones at the right time, making it easier for them to fall asleep and wake up for school.”
2. Know how much sleep kids actually need
“People often forget that children need a lot more sleep than adults,” says Hannah.
“While we only need seven hours, primary school children need around 10 hours of sleep per night.
“There are two types of sleep: deeper NREM and lighter REM.
“The latter is great for learning and emotional processing, whereas the former is when growth hormones are released and the body recovers – both are needed for a child to get the best night’s sleep.”
3. Start with staggered bedtimes
“It’s a good idea to start moving your children’s bedtime and wake time – probably earlier than they have been going to bed and getting up in the holidays – towards their normal times in the days before school starts,” says Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert for And So To Bed.
“This avoids a shock to the system the day school starts when they will probably have to be up a lot earlier than they have been.”
She recommends moving bed and wake times by around 15 to 20 minutes per day until you get to the ideal bedtime for your child.
She adds: “Make sure you move both their bedtime and wake time by the same amount.”
4. Focus on ‘winding down’ time
“Everyone will have a completely different sleep routine, but the key is finding one that works best for you and your child and ensuring it includes winding down time,” says Hannah.
“Having a pre-bedtime routine ensures that children know bedtime is coming,” adds Lindsay.
“Doing the same things before bed in the same order can help prepare the brain and body for sleep.
“This routine may involve stopping screens an hour before bed; doing a peaceful activity such as reading or a jigsaw; taking a bath or shower and then getting into pyjamas and brushing teeth before bed.”
5. Manage tech use
“You may have allowed them more screen time over the summer holidays to keep them entertained,” says Lindsay.
“However, with school restarting, it might be a good ideal to reinstate screen time limits on the number of hours spent on devices, as well as stopping devices automatically in the evening.
“Ideally, stop any screen time at least an hour before their bedtime.
“If your child is still using a screen close to bedtime – parents can’t win all wars! – then ensure they have night mode activated, which will reduce brightness and blue light that may disrupt sleep.”
6. Bedroom set up is vital
Devise cues so your child’s brain knows it’s time to get ready for bed.
“Environment is really important for sleep and lights should be dim or ideally switched off in the bedroom to tell the body it’s time for bed,” says Hannah.
“The key is to make sure your child is comfortable in the setting they’re sleeping in – is the temperature ok (it should be around 18C)? Is it dark enough? Is the bedding comfortable?”
7. Be flexible
There’s no point strictly adhering to a sleep routine if it’s obviously not working for your child.
“The most important tip – not just with sleep routines – is to not overdo it,” says Hannah.
“Ease your child into their new routine, make small changes to see if they work and, if they don’t, try something different.
“The best sleep routines aren’t a chore – find something that works and fits into yours and your child’s lifestyle.”
8. Understand what your teen is dealing with
“Teens get a bad reputation when it comes to sleep, but they are tired and grumpy for a reason,” says Hannah.
“Our circadian rhythm controls our sleep/wake cycle and everyone’s slightly different.
“For teenagers, this means they’ll go to bed later and wake up later.
“The school day, however, doesn’t account for this and teens will have to get up much earlier than they’re ready to, impacting their overall physical, mental and emotional health.
“It’s important that we allow teenagers to make up for this lack of sleep on the weekend, to soften the impact.”
Lindsay adds that children aged 14 to 17 years need between eight and 10 hours of sleep.
9. Go outside
For teens especially, a shot of daylight can help get them in the swing of things.
“On a school day, a good tip to make sure a teen feels ready for the day is by incorporating morning daylight into their before-school routine,” says Hannah.
“Your body stops producing melatonin – the hormone that promotes sleep – in the morning light and it’ll help you feel more awake and ready for the day ahead.”
Just standing in the garden while eating some toast counts!
10. Keep the routine on track
Involving the kids and making them feel accountable and responsible will help.
“Spending some time as a family discussing bedtimes and wake times, as well as when screens will be stopped, is a great start,” says Lindsay
“If everyone is on the same page, it makes sticking to the rules much easier.”