How often do you wake up in the morning feeling cranky after a restless night’s sleep?

The same effects of lack of sleep are experienced by both the young and old. Like adults, children need adequate amounts of sleep to be able to stay focussed, engage with school work and deal appropriately with all the challenges faced throughout a day. Sleep is one of the three basic needs important to our wellbeing.

Here is a handy guide from the Sleep Health Foundation:

Ultimately you can assess if your child is getting enough sleep at night by observing how they function and behave during the day. Lack of sleep puts their body into a sleep deficit which can create a cycle of fatigue draining their mental and physical resources.

Developing a regular sleep schedule and routine for your child will ensure their bodies are well rested in preparation for each day. A bed time routine to help your child unwind for sleep may include:

• A warm bath
• No electronic usage at least one hour before sleep and no devices in the bedroom at night
• Light snack and/or warm non-caffeinated drink e.g. milk
• Set time for bed each night
• A bedtime story or three!
• Slow breathing – taking 3 to 10 calming breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth
• Writing down any worries on their mind and two or three things to be grateful for.
• A night light can comfort young children when the lights go out

Sleep is a really important daily activity in which we can teach our children good habits for life. Sleep remains important throughout our lives for both our physical health, to facilitate the repair and building of new cells, and for our mental health, to help us minimise our risk for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Sandy Chambers

Support Teacher: Literacy and Numeracy

English as an Additional Language / Dialect Teacher