There’s no more avoiding it… As a nation of children prepare to go back to school – some for the first time since March – they’re going to need every bit of energy to make that transition successful and stress free.
In what’s been an unprecedented break from normality in some households, bedtimes for children (and grown ups) have drifted far from the norm. As such, re-establishing a bedtime routine will mean more than an early night before a first morning back at school.
This week at Millbrook Beds we’re sharing our top three (less obvious) tips to take bedtime back:
1 It could be a marathon, not a sprint
Bedtimes have drifted gradually and they’ll need to be re-established gradually. It’s unrealistic to expect a child who’s been going to sleep well past 9pm for months to suddenly begin falling asleep at 7pm – you’ll need to make such changes in increments day by day.
2 Eat early
It’s not only a routine at bedtime that matters in positive sleep. Late dinners and late breakfasting send the wrong signals to our metabolism. So bring late dinners forward and try and breakfast within an hour of rising to help reset your metabolism to your usual timetable.
3 Reconsider light and noise
If you know it might be a struggle for your child to fall asleep earlier than they’ve been used to, give them the best chance of succeeding by being realistic about what you expect them to sleep through in terms of noise and light interference – turn the downstairs volume down, ask older siblings for their help and encourage your child to sleep with as little night light as possible.
Your children need positive sleep and a great way to encourage your child to love their sleep is with the kind of #perfectsleep comfort you’ll find with a handmade mattress from Millbrook Beds.