Sleep Routines

Sleep is essential to humans, just like air, water and food. Getting a good night’s sleep is like a mental health booster! Yet, many of us don’t pay as much attention to it as we should. It is incredibly common for adults and children alike to struggle to get enough consistent sleep. Children of all ages need to get enough sleep so they can play, learn, and concentrate during the day. For children aged between 7 to 10 years, 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night is ideal, while children aged between 12 to 18 years should try to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep. Keep in mind that different people need slightly different amounts of sleep.

Why is sleep critically important?

Sleep Summary

Sleep helps our bodies to be physically healthy and strong

Solid nightly rest strengthens our body’s ability to fight illness.

Sleep helps us to be smarter

Our minds work better when we get good sleep. It helps us to concentrate, learn better, have better memories, and make good choices.

Sleep helps us to feel happier and gives us more energy

Lack of sleep can make us irritable, lose control of our temper and drag down our energy levels.

Sleep improves mental health

Besides depression, studies have found that lack of sleep is linked with mental health conditions like anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Establishing good sleep habits

Have a consistent bedtime routine – This especially helps children to “wind down” from the day.
Keep regular “sleep” and “wake” times, even on weekends and during school holidays.
At least half an hour before bedtime, turn off computers, tablets and TV. Try reading a book or listening to music instead.
During the day open windows and blinds to let light into the home and, if you can, spend some time outside in natural light. At bedtime, ensure a quiet and dimly lit place to sleep.
Avoid caffeine in tea, coffee, soft drinks, and chocolate at least six hours before bed.
At night, lower the brightness on any phones, computers and tablets.
If winding down is difficult, try a mindfulness exercise like one from the Smiling Mind app: https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app
Try to sleep the same amount every night. An extra hour, every now and then, is fine, but more than that can confuse your body clock.
If you can, avoid napping during the day.
It’s easy to overlook exercise with everything happening in the world, but regular daily activity has many important health benefits, including for sleep.

A bedtime routine for children might look like this: