Sweet dreams or tormented nightmares
Night-time can be the stuff of nightmares for parents if they aren’t organised properly. A good bed time routine will pay dividends and will go a long way towards establishing a good night’s rest for your child.

By Jayne May

The virtuous circle of good sleep and an action-packed day is one of the foundation stones of good health from childhood to adulthood. The opposite is all too familiar and an overtired child will usually demonstrate this in their behaviour with mood swings, tantrums and frustration.

Basically the state of sleep can be split into two categories which often alternate during the sleep period:

·  Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) or “quiet” sleep. During the deep states of NREM sleep, blood supply to    the muscles is increased, energy is restored, tissue growth and repair occur, and important hormones are    released for growth and development.

·  Rapid Eye Movement, (REM) or “active” sleep. During REM sleep, our brains are active and dreaming
   occurs.  Our bodies become immobile, breathing and heart rates are irregular.

Source: NSF

Older children who are regularly deprived of sleep are prone to poor concentration at school leading to lower academic performance and there is also medical evidence linking lack of sleep with overeating and obesity. Studies have linked many physical and mental problems to poor sleep with depression and insomnia often running in parallel.
It seems that there is a trend towards later nights where parents allow their children to play computer games or watch TV late into the evening not only depriving valuable sleep but over-stimulating the brain at a time when it should be processing and storing information ready for the day ahead. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) in America: “Watching TV close to bedtime has been associated with bedtime resistance, difficulty falling asleep, anxiety around sleep and sleeping fewer hours.”

How much?
Most of us know that around eight hours is sensible for adults but how much is right for your child? Experts suggest from the toddler stage to age five your child needs at least 12 hours sleep per day which may be split if they take an afternoon nap and a school age child needs between 10 and 12 hours. There are, of course, exceptions to this and some children need less.

Bedtime routine
Decide on a bedtime and stick to it, even at weekends. Try to avoid physical activity just before bedtime and instead read a story or engage in a calm activity about half an hour beforehand. The obvious point to mention is that an earlier bedtime will lead to an earlier wake up.

Surroundings for sleep
Create the right bedroom environment closing curtains or shutters fully in order to shut out light especially in the summer months. Cushions and a favourite soft toy are a good idea but avoid too many distractions around the bed which may be used for an extended play time. Lights on or off are a personal choice; some children may benefit from a subdued night light while others argue that it is better to sleep in the dark.
Choose a sequence of activities that works for you and others and use that consistently. The routine that works in my household is first to change into pyjamas and dressing gowns, then some colouring in or a story, clean teeth followed by an 8pm tuck-up in bed with some one-to-one time with both parents before lights off and sleep. In the morning my youngest is usually bouncing around full of beans at 7am while his older sister is rarely up before 8am.

Nightmares
One unwelcome interruption to a good night’s sleep for both parent and child is the dreaded nightmare. When this happens, go to them quickly to provide a reassuring voice and give them a cuddle or stroke the child’s brow. Try not to say too much as this will over-stimulate and avoid discussions about the dream if possible. Speak in a quiet calm tone and they will hopefully fall back asleep quickly. In most cases the child will have forgotten all about it the next morning. If nightmares become a habit, you may need to consider other factors such as problems at school or if the child is eating too close to bedtime, for example, but in most cases bad dreams are just a normal part of childhood.
Regular waking at night
When a child wakes, do the bare minimum so that you increase the chances of them dropping back off to sleep. The most important thing is not to stimulate them so avoid putting the light on or engaging in conversation where at all possible. The biggest mistake many parents make is allowing the child to get into bed with them as a quick and easy solution as then you have set the tone for the future. Sleeping with parents is very habit forming and is difficult to break. While this works for some families it can also cause many long-term sleep problems for both you and your child and has been known to cause a rift between husband and wife.
A disturbed night can also be a symptom of illness and if the child usually sleeps well, then it may very well be a medical problem such as an infection, toothache, tummy upset or the onset of a cold which often starts at night.
If the child wants a drink, then the advice is to only give water, better for the teeth, and while it quenches a thirst, it is not such a desirable drink that it becomes a habit every night.
Caffeine has long been known as a stimulant and in small amounts appears to be OK but it is also addictive and for this reason it is not recommended that children or teenagers are encouraged to drink coffee as over-use is often a primary cause of sleep problems in adults such as insomnia and it can cause headaches.

In summary, investing in a good sleep routine for your child is exactly that, it will be repaid in the short term in a more relaxed household and in adult life can avoid major problems caused by poor sleep patterns including insomnia or even a fatal accident as a result of drowsiness, which may have been avoided if the person had enjoyed a good night’s sleep.