By Missy Morrison Charko
As a trusted Pediatric Sleep Consultant and a mom of two young children, the importance of quality sleep is always a top priority in my home. Through my training, my clients, and my own family, I have learned the amazing impact that a good night’s sleep can have on our children. The impact that quality sleep or the lack thereof can have on a child ranges from their growth and development, overall health, emotional growth and development, to schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Amazingly, approximately 34.9% of children do not get enough sleep each night. Your child’s sleep environment can significantly impact bedtime and their overnight sleep. So, let’s set up an optimal sleep-friendly environment for your child and incorporate mindfulness techniques into their routine to help improve their overall sleep.
Key Elements of a Sleep-Friendly Environment
A. Temperature
The temperature of your child’s room can have a large impact on the quality of sleep they get at night. Cool and comfortable is best (and that goes for parents’ rooms too!). Being overheated at night can cause unnecessary wakeups, tossing and turning, and can even be a trigger for nightmares and night terrors. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature of 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit (18-22 degrees Celsius) to set your child up for optimal sleep.
B. Lighting
How else can you set up a sleep-friendly environment? As a child sleep consultant, this is my number one suggestion to parents: make the room as dark as possible! On a scale of 1-10, a 10 is the best. Why is this? Darkness aids in the production of melatonin, the hormone that aids in sleep. Your child’s circadian rhythm is also set by light and dark, so by setting up their room for darkness, you are setting them up for optimal sleep. Here are a few more tips:
- Blackout blinds or curtains are a great way to make their room dark. Plus, this helps keep the room cool as well!
- Don’t have blackout blinds or are traveling? Try black garbage bags and use painter’s tape to put them up on the window for a quick fix! They are easy to carry in your suitcase!
- Avoid projection lighting in the room; this can cause stimulation at bedtime instead of relaxation.
- One more quick tip: if your child would like a nightlight, be sure to use one that has a soft yellow, orange, or red glow to it. Avoid green, blue, and bright yellow lights.
C. Sound
Child sleep aids, like sound machines, are often used to drown out environmental noise or to help soothe a child to sleep. If you do use a sound machine for your child, make sure to keep it at a low volume and place it away from their bed. Placing it on the wall that has the most environmental noise works well.
Designing Your Child’s Sleep Space
A. Bedding and Clothing
Going hand in hand with the temperature of the room, making sure that your child’s bedding and clothing are cool and comfortable is important as well. Overheating at night is something we want to avoid, especially during the summer months, so choose lighter fabrics and lightweight sheets for your child’s bedding.
B. Room Layout and Décor
As parents, we want to help create a calming atmosphere for our child at bedtime. Room layout and décor are important for that. Make sure that the room is not too cluttered and that it promotes calmness and relaxation. Your child’s bedroom should not be set up as a playroom; it should set the tone for downtime and rest. Keep toys to a minimum and replace them with books instead. Add a dimmer switch to lights if you can, to help set the mood for sleep before bedtime. If you have a child who is prone to climbing, be sure that all furniture is secured to the walls and move furniture that may encourage climbing away from the bed.
Implementing Mindfulness Techniques for Better Sleep
A. What is Mindfulness?
What exactly is mindfulness for children, and how does it impact our children and their sleep? Mindfulness, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is a “mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.” When our children prepare for sleep and are in a relaxed state, falling asleep and staying asleep comes much easier. Avoiding screens and stimulants at bedtime and using exercises, such as yoga stretches and tools to help relax their body and mind, will have a great impact on their sleep and their mental health as well.
B. Incorporating Mindfulness into the Bedtime Routine
Creating a consistent bedtime routine and following it consistently every night will help to keep those bedtime battles at bay while also setting your child up for a great night’s sleep. I personally love having families hang a visual chart of the bedtime routine on the bedroom wall! This keeps everyone on track and consistent. Incorporating mindfulness practices into that routine using the mindfulness aid, Zenimal, is one of my most recommended strategies for parents that I coach. One reason I love the Zenimal for my families is that it is screen-free. Children can listen to guided audio meditations, helping their mind and body prepare for sleep. Using a Zenimal as part of mindfulness practices in their bedtime routine will help them feel safe, relaxed, and regulated, leading to a full night of quality sleep. If your child is extremely active or has trouble relaxing their body at the end of the day, incorporate some yoga stretches into their bedtime routine as well, before they lay down for their Zenimal guided meditation.
Additional Tips for Promoting Healthy Sleep Habits
A. Consistent Bedtime Schedule
As our children get older and have more activities and schoolwork, it can be hard to keep their bedtime schedule consistent. As a sleep health expert, I highly recommend that you do the best you can to keep their bedtime schedule consistent. Keeping their bedtime consistently the same within a half-hour to an hour each night can play a big role in their productivity and emotions the next day. Make sure that they are also getting up at the same time each day as well, promoting their circadian rhythm and optimal sleep. Need a little guidance? Per the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), here are the recommended guidelines:
- Ages 3-5 years: 10-13 hours (including naps)
- Age 6-12 years: 9-12 hours
- Age 13-18 years: 8-10 hours
B. Physical Activity
The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that children aged 5 to 17 years get at least 60 minutes a day of vigorous activity and should be limiting screen time. I am totally on board with that! Physical activity, fresh air, and sunlight all play an active role in our children’s sleep, so step away from those screens and get them outside!
Better Sleep Is Coming!
Creating a sleep-friendly environment while incorporating relaxation and mindfulness at bedtime will go a long way in helping your child achieve the optimal sleep they need each night. Sleep plays such a crucial role in their growth and development, both physically and mentally, and establishing healthy sleep hygiene is a wonderful habit they will carry into adulthood. Prioritizing sleep for your child is a huge gift that will only have a positive impact on their well-being.
Missy Morrison Charko is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Sense™ Consultant and Founder of Say Yes to the Rest Pediatric Sleep Consulting. She helps exhausted parents of children aged 6 months to 12 years with private coaching and support remotely across Canada and the USA. She is a mom of two young children and an entrepreneur located in British Columbia, Canada. A contributing editor on child sleep for BC Parent News Magazine, she has been featured on Modern Mama, Mom.com, and CBC Radio Vancouver, has been a guest on numerous health/wellness and parenting podcasts, and does seminars for BC Public Health and family resources. A member of the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants (IACSC), she was a Guest Speaker at The Baby Show in Vancouver (2023; upcoming Fall 2024). Missy holds a BFA (SU) and is the Co-Director of the 1st Annual Shuswap Family Expo happening this September 2024.