A good nights sleep

A good night’s sleep is vital. And for children, a decent night’s sleep will help them to do better at school, allow them to react more quickly to situations, have a more developed memory, learn more effectively and solve problems. Plus it will make them less susceptible to colds and other minor ailments, less irritable and better behaved!

Which is why we’ve teamed up with The Children’s Sleep Charity to update our popular Good-Night Guide for Children leaflet.

The leaflet is available free of charge, both on and offline, and contains a host of practical tips for parents on children’s sleep and beds. Some parents don’t understand the implications of what can stop a child getting a good night’s sleep, how they can deal with sleep issues and worries and why a child’s bed should be fit for sleep.

Here’s our top sleep advice for children:

– Set aside time before bed to wind down properly. This is a perfect opportunity to read with your child, or talk to them about their day. – Limit the use of the smartphones, tablets, TVs, computers, gaming machines etc in the hour before bed. – The bedroom should be free from distractions such as TVs etc and clear out clutter. Make sure it’s cool, quiet and dark. – Keep regular bedtime hours. A good sleep routine will work wonders. – Know how much sleep your child needs. As a general rule of thumb toddlers need around 12 hours of sleep a night; children aged four to six – 10.5-11.5 hours; six-12 years olds – 10 hours; and teenagers – around eight to nine hours.