Most parents can probably relate to the difficulties of trying to get your kids to go to sleep when bed time comes around. The struggle often results in long arguments and a lot of frustration, and you’re left wondering how they still have so much energy so late at night! Then in the morning it can be equally hard getting them to wake up because they’ve had such a restless night’s sleep. This is a common problem that many households face on a daily basis, but parents don’t need to despair! The problem can be solved and, with the help of a few simple tips, your kids will be getting a good night’s sleep in no time.
Diet is important
With all the bright coloured and sugar-filled junk food on the shelves these days, it’s no wonder kids are bouncing off the walls when it comes to bed time. Reducing the amount of refined sugar and synthetic additives in your children’s diet is an obvious but very effective way of improving their health and regulating their energy levels.
The natural sugars found in fruit are a much healthier alternative to sweets and cakes. Fruit will create a much slower and smaller spike in your kids’ blood sugar, which means their energy will be burned off more slowly instead of all in one go.
Foods that contain protein and carbohydrates have been proven to make you feel tired and improve sleep. So, replacing after-dinner snacks that contain sugar with food such as breakfast cereal, eggs, or toast, could help your children settle easier and fall asleep naturally.
It’s all about exercise
Children often have a lot of energy left at the end of the day, which they then utilise by running around and causing havoc when they should be sleeping. The reason for this excess energy is due to the fact they haven’t burned enough off throughout the day. After spending most of their day sat down at school, your kids have all this energy that isn’t being used.
It is important for them to burn off this energy through some sort of physical exercise. Even just an hour of exercise a day can help to improve your child’s health, while giving them the chance to burn of their excess energy and tire themselves out. By reducing the build-up of unused energy, your kids will naturally feel more tired when it comes to bed time and they will get a much more relaxed night’s sleep.
Reduce TV time and video games
A lot of parents will know how hard it can be to pull their children away from the TV or whatever video game console it is they are playing. These days it is common for kids to get home from school and sit in front of the TV until it’s time for bed. This has been shown to cause sleep disruption amongst children and young adults. By leaving a few hours between playing video games and bedtime, it will help your kids sleep more peacefully.
If you’re looking for the perfect way to help your kids burn off their excess energy, we offer the perfect after school activity at Jump In. Find out more here.