Parents as Partners Bedtime Routines and Behaviour Management Wednesday 2 nd December 2015

Bedtime and Sleep Quality sleep is essential for children’s growth and development. We need to pass on the skill of good sleep to children as early as possible to allow them to get the best benefit from an early age. Why? It releases a growth hormone encouraging normal growth and bodily development. The brain benefits – good sleep helps children to make sense of the day and boosts concentration It aids healthy brain development and good emotional/mental health(the ‘de-toxifying’ benefits of good sleep)

What happens if my child does not get enough sleep? Weight gain Depression Poor performance at school Poor concentration Reduced creative ability Lower immunity to diseases ……..and grumpiness!!

What is sleep? Sleep can be helpfully divided into ‘blocks’ – each one involving a series of events during sleep. These blocks can also be expressed as time periods i.e. the amount of sleep in hours achieved by people of all ages. The events during rest and sleep will include wakefulness, sleepiness and different levels of sleep. The two main ingredients of sleep are ‘slow wave’ (non dreaming) and REM – rapid eye movement/dreaming sleep. Both are essential as they contribute to repair of wear and tear, healthy hormone activity, normal growth and emotional well being. Normal sleep should involve about three to five periods of dreaming sleep (about 25% of total sleep time) per night. Interestingly, dreams and REM sleep are triggered by random releases of electrical activity by a part of the brain called the ‘stem’ – this is received by the forebrain which then desperately tries to ‘make sense’ of it all. This is why children often refer to daily activities or experience in school in their dreams, finding a ‘reference’ they can relate to. This process is vital for good brain health and emotional development.

Establishing good routines for sleep What is a bedtime routine? Lots of parents follow routines like this…teatime, quiet play, bath, story and then bed. Bedtime should be around the same time each evening, although on non school nights, older children already established in a good sleep pattern may be allowed to stay up a little later. Parents shouldn’t expect children to go to sleep immediately they are in bed - after all, most adults don’t - and they should be allowed to play quietly or read for a little while until they drop off.

How much sleep is normal? Most toddlers sleep about 12 hours by the age of three. Children aged four to six tend to sleep between 10½ to 11½ hours at night. Children aged six to 12 sleep for around 10 hours a night. Most teenagers need around 8-9 hours sleep

Common Sleep Problems I’m not tired! I am hungry/too full! I am thirsty! Where am I? I’m not comfy! I’m frightened! I wet the bed!

Job Description f for a Parent What would you write on this job description?

Post It Activity What kind of behaviour do most parents and carers find difficult to manage?

Post It Activity What are your top tips? (or what works for you at home?)