How to have your children get a good night’s rest?
At night, while parents extend their work at home under bright artificial lights, little kids also lose their sense of a relaxed home. Their stress may be expressed in the form of irritability, crying, bed wetting, and misbehavior.
Here are some tips on how to have your children get a good night’s sleep:
1. Feed your children right. Children get poor sleep with stomach discomforts. Thus, they often wake up and cry at night. To avoid this, feed them with light, easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich food before sunset. Ripe banana of any variety is suggested because it contains serotonin and potassium that induce sound sleep. Children need light stomachs to sleep comfortably. Feeding them while tired or drowsy at late night may lead to indigestion, flatulence and discomfort.
2. Dedicate an early evening time with your kids. As soon as you get home from work, spend time (between 6 and 8 p.m.) with your family. Tag this period as “family time.” Attend to their needs and play with them in a variety of creative, less active endeavors both indoor and outdoor. Make this schedule regular and consistent.
3. Establish prebedtime routines at an early age. After family time, help your kids prepare their bottles, brush their teeth, empty their bladder, wash their face and body, change to their sleep clothes, and set their beddings. Massage them or simply tap them lightly for physical and nervous relaxation. This pattern will eventually become normal and spontaneous as they grow up. Likewise, such routines cue them to get to bed right away and condition them for a comfortable peaceful sleep.
4. Pray as a family before going to bed. Train your kids to say short prayers. Praying makes them feel safe knowing they have asked God to watch over them. Praying also instills int heir young minds faith and trust in God.
