“A child wears his fatigue like a suit of itchy, ill-lifting clothing. Putting him to bed with authority and affection may be likened to helping him out of the unbearably uncomfortable outfit and into a pair of well-worn pajamas”. (Inda Schaenen)
An early bedtime for children is usually a struggle for their parents, who tend to become even busier at the end of the day and, therefore, children bedtime usually gets pushed for later.
An early bedtime for children can deliver “wins” to the family as the whole and I would like to share those with you:
1 – *Reduced Risk of Babies’ Night-time Wake-Ups.
Early bedtimes are best to ensure that children do not bec’ome overtired. Over-tiredness is the “worst enemy” for a good night sleep. The human body secretes alerting hormones when we are overtired, which makes bedtime more difficult and tends to cause more wake ups during the night.
When kids are overtired, they are “hyperactive” and they face difficulties to settle down and fall asleep. Even once the sleep approaches, children are more restless with continuous tossing, turning and night waking. So, the later you put your baby to bed, the more chances you create for night wake ups.
2 – *Reduced Risk of Early Rising.
Many parents believe that children will sleep longer if they are going to bed later. Unfortunately, in reality, it is the opposite. Children having later bedtimes are normally nap-deprived and overly drowsy, therefore, they will actually be able to rise early. I know, it is not logical, but it is biological. That is why I always suggest earlier bedtimes as the first action to take for early risers.
3 – *Healthy Sleep Habits for the Future.
Children having poor sleep habits normally display temper tantrums, power struggles, and poor behavior. So, they develop habits, which they hardly agree to change. In addition, kids’ bedtime will be becoming later and later once they grow. So, how can we avoid all of this?
We need to establish a regular early-bedtime routine and remain consistent in order to avoid such challenges. As early bedtime followers will not wake up at night and will not rise early, they will be healthier, happier and will be more likely to retain those habits for their future.
4 – *Decreased Obesity Risk.
Early good night’s sleep could guard kids against weight gain in the future. According to the new study, children between 4 and 5 years old having 8 p.m. bedtime could reduce their chances of becoming overweight or obese later in life by half. It is shocking to see how later bedtimes more than doubles obesity rate.
Besides, staying up later in the evening invites children to have unnecessary snacks before going to bed.
5 – *More Time for Parents.
When the children are in bed early, parents get more time for themselves to enjoy their evenings and reconnect. This is “healthy time” for the whole family. Parents deserve to have a minute of freedom and peace for their hard work and efforts.
