Sleep: Telltale Signs Your Child’s Not Getting Enough, and How to Avoid Bedtime Battles

Wondering how much sleep your child should get? Check our handy chart to be sure, and find out where you can get resources like bedtime stories and sticker charts.

As parents, we ALL know that sleep is a good thing; on a daily basis, if we’re being honest, there are few moments more joyful than the peace and quiet that settle over the house once the littles ones have FINALLY gone to bed.

But there’s more to it than simply being able to sip wine and watch Netflix in peace, mama. Sleep is essential for our physical and mental health, and is extra crucial for growing kids. As we all know, sleep is a chance for the brain to recharge, and helps reset the body for the day ahead. It’s also fab for:

• Alertness as it improves concentration and a child’s awareness of his surroundings. This both keeps him safe and helps him pay attention in class!
• Improving Mood: Children who don’t get enough sleep tend to have more mood swings, throw more tantrums, and become frustrated more easily.
• Memory: During sleep, the brain is better able to consolidate new information that it’s picked up during the day.
• Health: Kids who get quality sleep are less susceptible to diseases and illnesses, as sleep helps regulate the immune system. Shortened sleep also seems to alter the body’s response when it’s trying to clear out viruses.

If your kiddo lacks alertness, or seems especially moody, lack of sleep could be the culprit! Does your child or teen LOVE sleeping in on weekends? That’s another telltale sign that their body is trying to compensate for too little sleep on weekdays.

Healthy sleep habits should be as much a priority for you as good nutrition, learning and enrichment, mama. And not to worry, if bedtime is a nightly battle in your house, or external challenges like an unpredictable work schedule make it tough to establish a solid routine, we are here to help!

Your first stop should be goodsleep.sg, a fab resource for parents in Singapore that addresses key questions like:

• How much is enough sleep for my child? (It varies by age, but aim for 10 hours at minimum!)
• What are some telltale signs that my child isn’t getting enough sleep?
• How do I create the ideal sleep environment?

Once you’re armed with all the facts, you can download their awesome sleep kit, which includes everything from bedtime stories, to lullabies you can sing to your child, to sleep rewards charts and stickers, along with other suggested “wind-down” activities for bedtime. We think it’s a total gamechanger, mama.

Once you’ve made sleep a priority, you’ll be amazed to see the benefits for both your kiddo (including alertness, enhanced mood, improved memory skills, and over all health) and yourself. And of course, the hope is that you’re getting enough sleep yourself, too!

goodsleep.sg