Routines are ''essential for young children''
Young children need to have a regular routine in place in order to ensure they are receiving the proper amount of sleep to be happy and healthy, it has been claimed.
Child psychologist Emma Kenny argued very young
children need an average of 12 hours of sleep per night and helping them to develop a standard bedtime routine is an excellent method for ensuring they go to
bed relaxed and ready to rest.
She commented: "Routine is everything - a nice, 30-minute bedtime routine where you don't have any interaction with fibre activity or television. Don't just plonk a child in front of a television - it's terrible for their sleep.
"Make sure you read stories, sing songs and have nice bath times - anything that says to the child 'we are relaxing'."
Ms Kenny added that unwinding with the
kids can be one of the most pleasurable activities in a parent's day and therefore they should make the most of these opportunities to bond with their children and ensure they are happy and content, as this too will promote restful sleep.
Resistance to entering into a routine is not uncommon, but this can be compounded if parents are too pushy. Instead, they should focus making the bedtime routine a pleasurable experience that their children will look forward to each night.
In this way, parents can ensure their child is getting the right amount of restful sleep with minimal fuss.
Earlier this month, the Chicago Tribune reported that research carried out at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine by senior clinician educator Dr Kenneth Fox has shown the importance of babies having a regular sleep pattern for their proper development.
Dr Fox's findings highlighted how implementing a regular routine for children aged six to eight months old can help ensure they are quickly sleeping right through the night - ensuring mum and dad are able to get a more restful night's sleep also.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes
