Bedtime, that age-old argument between parents and children.
Although you might have a good routine going at home where homework, dinner and bedtime all flow nicely, the summer months have a habit of interrupting that.
When it’s bright outside, children are understandably confused and question why they have to go to sleep when in their eyes, it’s still daytime.
Five Thirty-Eight tackled this issue recently in the answer to a question from five-year-old Kayla who asked “why is it bedtime if it’s still light outside”?
In the answer to Kayla’s question, it’s pointed out that bedtime is a ‘social construct’ and it varies for every parent and every child but this also means that ‘bedtime resistance’ can prove an issue.
NY Mag points out that one child might be asleep by eight o’ clock but another of the same age will refuse to go to sleep at this time and it won’t impact them in the morning.
Although it might go against your instincts to follow this suggestion, research has shown it can actually work in both parties favour.
A study in the US showed that bedtime resistance where children fought back against going to sleep had doubled between the ages of 2 and 5.
However, research conducted in Switzerland showed that bedtime resistance peaked at age 3 and as parents shifted towards later bedtimes, the reluctance from their children to go to sleep eased off.
Of course, this is just one study and what works for one family won’t work for another but it’s interesting all the same.
