Sending children to bed early is good for both children and their parents, science confirms
It has always been said that sending children to bed early is important for their health, but also for their parents' well-being as well.
This has been confirmed by a study conducted at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, that was carried out on a sample of 3600 children in their first nine years of life.
The results showed that in the families where the children went to bed before 8:30 pm, not only were the latter happier and healthier but they were more serene as were also their parents.
It is easy to understand, that the main reason lies in the fact that in this way there is more time for the couple, to talk and spend time together experiencing and enjoying their own intimacy.
via today.com
The role of sleep in childhood
The role of sleep, from the point of view of general health, is fundamental, especially in a delicate period of life such as childhood. Insufficient or the lack of rest and sleep for small children has effects on their physical and cognitive development.
The research study had the mothers and fathers fill out appropriate questionnaires with two-year intervals, i.e., when the children were between 4 and 5 years old, then the same children between 6 and 7 years old and again when they were between 8 and 9 years old. The information gathered allowed researchers to monitor melatonin, sleep hormones, and relaxation levels, that reach a peak around 8:00 pm in the evening.
The interesting aspect was also to note that the positive effects on the quality of life of children were evident regardless of how much they actually slept. It must be emphasized that the sooner a child goes to bed, the higher the probability that the child will be able to sleep the recommended number of hours:
- From 4 to 12 months old from 12 to 16 hours
- From 1 to 2 years old from 11 to 14 hours
- From 3 to 5 years old from 10 to 13 hours
- From 6 to 12 years old from 9 to 12 hours
- From 13 to 18 years old from 8 to 10 hours
Improve the quality of children's sleep
Since the importance of children going to bed early has been amply clarified, here are some practical tips to improve the quality of their sleep:
- Stick as much as possible to the same routine at the end of the day
- Always send children to bed at the same time in the evening
- Before going to bed, children should avoid looking at the TV, tablets, PC, and smartphone screens because they decrease the quality and quantity of sleep and rest
- Wait until a little after dinner to send children to bed
- Spend some time with your children before bedtime, talking with them about the day or reading a bedtime story
