With summer vacation on its way, it is vital to consider one of the things that children like most about the summer: sleeping! It might be tough to maintain a steady sleep schedule throughout the summer. After a long school year of early alarms and hurrying out the door, it’s addicting to stay up late and wake up later.
But, children need appropriate sleep regardless of the time of the year!
Even in the summer, children should go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. Having a relaxed approach to the summer schedule is fine and spending time together as a family is crucial, but still, you must have a schedule to assist your kids to keep on track with their routines.
By actively monitoring your child’s sleep during the summer, you can ensure they get the quality sleep they require for general well-being without feeling deprived of enjoyment and fun. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of useful tips for keeping your children’s summer sleep routine.
Also Read: Foods To Help Your Baby Sleep At Night
Healthy Sleep Habits: Ideal Sleep Duration for Kids
Before we get into how to make sure your kids receive enough sleep, it’s important to understand how much sleep they should get.
When creating a sleep routine, make sure your children get enough sleep. Let’s talk about how much sleep children need on average.
- Infants (1-2 years old): 11-14 hours each day (including naps).
- Toddlers/young children (3-5 years old): 10-13 hours each day (including naps).
- Children (6-12 years old): 9-12 hours each day.
Keep in mind that each child is unique, so alter the plan to your child’s specific needs. Inadequate or excessive sleep can cause a variety of problems. Kids with sleep disorders and other special needs may require additional assistance in getting enough sleep.
Make getting enough sleep a family priority:
Understand the value of getting adequate sleep and how it impacts your kids and your own general health. Staying up all night with your kid, watching movies or pulling a late shift for work yourself, does not give the right message. Remember that you are a role model for your child, therefore set a good example.
Stick to a regular daily schedule:
Your child will feel more comfortable and have a more seamless bedtime if you maintain consistent wake-up, dinner, nap, and play schedules. It is beneficial for young children to establish a bedtime ritual early on, such as brush, book, and bed. Make sure the sleep rituals you adopt can be used anywhere, so you can help your child fall asleep wherever you are.
Also Read: Sleep Sack Or Swaddle
Create a sleep-friendly safe bedroom:
Dim the lights before bedtime and adjust the temperature in the room. Do not overfill your child’s bed with toys. Keep your child’s bed as a place to sleep, not a place to play. One or two items—a favourite doll or bear, a comfort blanket—are fine and can help with separation anxiety.
Encourage physical activity:
Physical activity during the day, such as dancing or sports, is a great way to burn off energy and improve sleep quality. Regular exercise is essential for restful sleep, so keep your kids engaged with indoor and outdoor activities, or have them help with household chores.
So, encourage physical activity, especially during the summer when the weather is ideal for outdoor activities. But make sure that exercise does not take place too close to bedtime. Limit intense activity until at least 2 hours before bedtime.
Eat right, sleep tight:
While your children enjoy summer activities such as beach days and barbecues along with eating ice cream and drinking sweet beverages, keep an eye on how much sugar and caffeine they intake. These summer foods and beverages are delightful, but they can disrupt your child’s sleep routine, particularly if taken around bedtime.
Here are some healthy snack ideas:
- Fat-free yoghurt
- Whole grain biscuits
- Veggie sticks
- Sandwiches
- Fruits
Check the schedule for daytime naps:
Keeping a consistent sleep schedule for young children is critical, even during an exciting summer vacation when you want them to enjoy every minute. Make sure kids keep their nap schedule.
When you go on vacation in a different time zone, taking brief power naps can help you recover and combat the symptoms of jet lag, allowing you to completely enjoy the trip. These little breaks might provide a boost of energy, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the local culture and activities.
Also Read: Nightmares, Night Terrors & Sleepwalking in Children
Keep track on the screen time:
Kids often stay up late having fun and then sleep all day. Establishing a consistent sleep routine is critical to ensuring that they get enough sleep. All screens, including phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, and computers, should be kept out of children’s bedrooms, especially at night. To avoid sleep disruption, switch off all screens at least 60 minutes (1 hour) before bedtime.
Back to school means resuming a school schedule:
To avoid those terrible arguments and the distress of having exhausted and annoyed kids when school resumes, do yourself and your children a favour and gradually return to school hours. As the school year begins, help your child transition back into their habit by altering their sleep schedule a few days before school starts.
Begin by adjusting their bedtime 15 minutes earlier. Repeat this every two to three nights until they are back to their normal sleep schedule. This approach will make things much easier for everyone when school resumes. Remember to plan for the hour change as you prepare to return to school.
- Should toddlers stay up late in the summer?
- While some flexibility in bedtime during the summer is normal and can be beneficial for children, it is critical to establish a balance. Excessive lateness may hinder children’s sleep cycles and negatively impact their general health.
- How can I keep my kids cool at night in the summer?
- Make sure the kids’ room has adequate ventilation, have them sleep with fans running, or use air conditioning if it’s possible to keep them cool at night during the heat. Dress them in light, breathable pyjamas and use breathable sheets.
- How much screen time should my kids have during the summer?
- Screen time recommendations for kids are consistent throughout the year. Experts advocate limiting children’s screen time to one to two hours per day for recreational purposes.
- How can I get my kid back on a regular sleep schedule after vacation?
- To get your baby’s sleep back on track, put them down at the same time they went to bed while vacationing. Then, in a 15-minute adjustment each night, gradually return to their normal bedtime.
- What is the scientifically optimum time to get up?
- Generally, waking up between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. is regarded best because it corresponds to our natural sleep-wake cycles. This time frame permits exposure to sunshine, which regulates sleep patterns and produces the sleep hormone melatonin.
Enjoy reading!
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