When looking for solutions to sleep problems, it’s tempting to turn straight to an expert. But as the parent, you know your child best.
You are there when your kids are born, for their first cry, and first smile. You are there when they take their first steps, speak their first words, and eat their first solid foods. You are there when they get sick, have a tantrum in the supermarket, or crawl into your bed at some ungodly hour.
No one will prioritize your children’s future and needs like you will. This puts you in the perfect position to take charge of your child’s sleep.
How do you start?
Setting your child’s bedroom up as a sleep sanctuary is simple and effective.
Creating a lovely sleep environment helps to set positive associations with sleep. These positive associations can become triggers for sleep.
In other words, by creating a range of environmental signals, you can train the body and mind to know instinctively that it is time to sleep. It’s a positive self-reinforcing spiral.
Here are some ways you can create a sleep sanctuary for your kids.
1. Get the light right
Light in your environment can assist or disrupt sleep cycles. If your internal clock does not register light cues, you may experience irregular or drifting circadian rhythms, leading to either delayed or advanced sleep phase disorders.
The wrong kind of light, like that emitted by electronic screens, will switch off melatonin, disrupting sleep onset. Darkness allows and signals the release of melatonin.
Ensure that you and your kids are not exposed to any bright lights or screens for at least one hour before bedtime. If you can dim the lights throughout the house, start turning them down at least an hour before bed.
Phone applications with a name of “Lux or Light Meter” allows reasonable measures of light. The recommendation is that during sleep, it should be zero lux, and less than 30 lux during the “dusk” (pre-sleep time)
Ideally, your child’s bedroom will be dark or have very soft lighting. If your kid needs a nightlight, a small one with a rosy colored light is best. You could use a small soft lamp on a timer, which fades slowly to complete darkness as your child drifts off to sleep.
And here’s one vital step: keep all electronic screens outside of the bedroom.
2. Keep the sound down
Harsh or stimulating sounds can keep us awake or rouse us from sleep.
These include sounds from a TV, electronic device, family members talking loudly (or fighting), household noises like washing dishes, noisy neighbors, dogs barking, cars, wind, storms, and music.
The best strategy is to lower any household noise levels you can control. Start your dishwasher earlier or later; move socializing and conversations to distant parts of the house.
For all those sounds you can’t control, do what you can to soundproof your child’s room. Soft furnishings like rugs and curtains can help absorb noise.
Some soft sounds can, however, ease children (and adults) into sleep. Consider using gentle, classical music, white noise machines, or ambient nature noises like waves and running water.
These soft sounds can mask other household and neighborhood noise and set the scene for restful sleep. However, avoid relaxation tracks with irregular sounds like gongs or chimes, as these can rouse your child as they try to drift off.
3. Become air aware
Air quality in the bedroom is vital for your child’s overall and sleep health.
Is there a problem with mold, dust, or any other funny scent? Do what you need to eradicate it.
The air temperature also needs to be just right. The ideal sleep temperature is about 18 degrees Celsius or 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer or cooler temperatures can lead to sleep deprivation, stress, and parasomnia.
Adding a relaxing scent into the air can have a positive effect for some children. Choose scents associated with love and safety or essential oils that soothe and relax, like lavender or rose.
Using a specific scent can help your child develop an association between that smell and sleep, making it easier for them to fall asleep.
Most importantly, allergens may impact the way your child breathes during sleep – that’s a whole article in and of itself, and a very important one! If your child is susceptible to allergies, consider using an air filter to help purify the air.
4. Reduce the clutter
Bedrooms should be a space for sleep, but many children’s bedrooms are also play areas, cluttered with toys, games, electronics, and other stimulating items.
If you can, create a play area outside of the bedroom for these items.
If this isn’t possible, consider packing up stimulating items as part of the bedtime routine.
5. Aim for comfort and safety
Kids need to feel safe, secure, and comfortable in their physical environment to get to sleep easily.
Children who regularly experience nightmares can find bedtime to be very stressful. You can help them feel safe in their rooms by doing a safety check on the windows and doors, or even “sweeping the room” with an “invisible light saber” to keep imaginary monsters away.
Happy photos next to the bed (cuddly, warm, smiling photos of loved ones, or photos of great holidays) can help kids feel safe and connected even while alone in their bed.
Choosing pajamas and blankets with soft, hypoallergenic material can also help soothe kids. Look for pajamas with no seams for sensitive kids, or pajamas and blankets with added scent for kids who respond to soft scents.
Setting the scene for further investigations
Once you have prepared the physical environment and established consistent bedtime routines, you’ll start to get a clearer picture of your child’s true sleep quality and quantity.
If you suspect that your child has sleep problems, then creating a sleep sanctuary will help you to investigate. You’ll be able to distinguish between environmental factors, over which you have control, and the potential behavior, physical, or medical issues that may need further investigation and expert help. If they need this, don’t wait!