A Parent’s Guide to Helping their Kids Fall Asleep Easily

Your kids could use more shut-eye because it can promote growth and boost learning. However, putting them to sleep can be very challenging especially after school and evening activities. With this, it is important that you identify things that can sabotage bedtime so they can fall asleep quickly.

Alternatively, you can also consider strategies to help the kids fall asleep quickly. You can try the following things:


Setting a bedtime schedule

The first thing that you should do is to set a bedtime schedule. Understand that the body has this sleep-wake cycle or internal clock. This will cue the body to feel active during the day and sleepy at night.

To establish a schedule, you should train the children to wake up and go to bed at the same time every day to keep a regular schedule. As soon as the body is accustomed to it, it will be easier to sleep and wake up around the same time each day.

Exposing them to both daylight and darkness

Keep in mind that light can influence the internal clock. If your children have minimal or irregular exposure to light, it can result in disruption of the internal clock. This will make it hard for them to fall asleep.

The best thing to do is to expose them to bright light during the day; this will tell the body to stay active. At night, expose them to darkness to promote feelings of sleepiness. In fact, darkness will boost the secretion of melatonin – a natural hormone that regulates sleep. You have to understand how melatonin works in promoting sleep.

Making them comfortable

Without a doubt, making the kids comfortable can help them fall asleep easily. Start with the mattress and bedding. Experts recommend a medium-firm mattress because it can prevent muscular discomfort and other sleep disturbances. The pillow and blanket quality also matter.

Apart from the mattress and bedding, you should also ensure that the room is slightly cool. The core temperature will decrease. If the room is too warm, it is difficult for children to fall asleep. Set your thermostat to 15–23°C as a start.

Putting away all electronic devices

Using electronic devices like TV, laptops, smartphones, and tablets can affect how quickly children fall asleep. This is because these devices emit light that can disrupt the circadian rhythm. As a parent, you know better than to stipulate a rule of putting away all electronic devices an hour or two before bedtime.

Trying melatonin 

For kids diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit-hyperactivity Disorder), autism, insomnia and other sleep problems associated with developmental disorders, doctors may recommend taking melatonin supplements. If you wonder how does melatonin work, you have to know that it functions by adjusting the body’s internal clock.

For children having trouble falling asleep, they may take 1 to 6 mg of melatonin every day before bedtime for up to one month. For children with sleep-wake problems, they may take 0.5 to 12 mg of melatonin every day before bedtime for up to twelve weeks. You will notice that the dosage will depend on the sleep disorder. To be sure, you should check the dosage instructions.