February has been a busy time for most parents with the new school term beginning and children settling into school or into new classes. It is an exciting time for children and sometimes stressful for both the kids and parents. New routines have to be established and there are numerous changes to adjust to.

At starting school or returning after the summer holidays children will be tired each night but may not want to acknowledge tiredness. Getting enough sleep is essential to learning. Although children may seem to be happy their understanding of many things is still developing. What is real and what isn’t, takes a long time and they often believe their peers instead of adults. Some children like to frighten others especially with stories about ghosts and horrors. For example at 3am terrible things will happen unless you get up and look at the moon. Suddenly bedtime can become a worrying time for some children. Despite my reassurances about these weird events, I’m assured, “But Nanna that is true. It really is true.”

Perhaps because of fears, bedtime is still a time to procrastinate in my house. If she had a sibling I’m sure that my granddaughter would enjoy her bedroom more. After reading time together, it is time for lights out and often she stays awake long after she should be sleeping. Sufficient sleep is essential for health. Lack of sleep can mean irritability, lack of concentration in the day time and by teenage years it can result in depression.

The important things parents need to establish are

• relaxing activities before bedtime
• a quiet, pleasant environment
• no electronic stimulation in the hour before bed
• consistency in the bedtime routine, even when the child might have other ideas.
• giving your child some strategies to induce sleep rather than wakefulness
• after lights out the adult must become boring and not answer questions or give comments

Tags: behaviour, emotional wellbeing, health