Lack of sleep in children is a major problem that must be addressed. Not getting enough sleep or not getting adequate rest can affect children's development in many ways. Both in his personal conduct and in his school performance, the consequences of lack of sleep in the short and long term are numerous.
Therefore, helping children establish a correct sleep routine helps them achieve a deep and restful sleep. Because not resting well is one of the most common causes of school failure. If the child does not sleep well, neither his body nor his brain are prepared to absorb and assimilate all the information they receive during the day. But also, their mood changes, they become irritable, sad and their social relationships can be seriously affected.
Alterations due to lack of sleep in children
When an adult does not sleep well, they turn to artificial stimulants that allow them to stay upright and perform throughout the day. Coffee, stimulant drinks, and caffeinated soft drinks are consumed daily to solve the lack of rest in the elderly. Something that although it can be effective in the short term, without a doubt poses a serious health risk to adults.
Sleep disorders also affect children, but they also cannot (and should not) consume these types of products that activate them to stay on their feet. This is why it is so important that children have routines that allow them to organize their day so that when night falls, may sleep peacefully. When this does not happen, there are alterations such as:
- Lack of concentration, which means poor school performance.
- Irritability, mood swings, inattention and lack of self-control.
- Headaches.
- Exhaustion, tiredness, decay and discouragement.
- Little control in the face of frustration, easily lose patience in any situation to the contrary.
- Reflexes are decreased, which can be the cause of falls and small accidents due to uncoordination and little control.
- Lack of attention, which in addition to being a problem at school, can cause accidents on the street or at home.
- Children with sleep problems also are more prone to infection.
Tips to solve the lack of sleep in children
One of the main causes of lack of sleep in children is that their schedules are usually regulated according to that of adults, and not the other way around. This means that children start the sleep routine too late, which prevents them from falling asleep at an appropriate time to cover the necessary hours of sleep. On the other hand, the use of technological devices at night causes brain activity that prevents the child from starting the sleep process.
For that, it is essential to establish a sleep routine that is repeated every day. In this way, the body itself sends out the necessary signals for the sleep phase to begin. These are some tips that you can follow so that your children have a good sleep routine.
- Avoid the use of technological devices 2 hours before going to sleep.
- Establish a time to go to bed, keeping in mind that it will generally take the child a while longer to fall asleep. For example, if you have to get up at 7 a.m., you will need to be in bed between 21,00 p.m. and 22,00 p.m. Thus, 8 to 9 hours of sleep are guaranteed.
- Start the sleep routine in the middle of the afternoon, avoiding stimulating games after six in the afternoon.
- Dinner must be done early, so they can digest before sleeping. It should also be a light dinner, so that sleep disturbances do not occur.
- A relaxing bath or shower helps you sleep better, but it should be done before dinner so that digestive problems do not occur.
Specialists estimate that the sleep habits that are acquired during the first 8 years of life, set the guidelines for what will be the rest of life. For this reason, teaching children to establish a correct sleep routine from childhood is essential for their future as adults.