Good ‘sleep hygiene’ is essential for children’s development, study suggests

Good quality sleep could massively improve your child's life.

Every parent wants to establish healthy habits for their children, whether that be nutrition, education or a big one - sleep! As an adult, you know how much of a struggle it is when you're sleep deprived; your concentration is worse, your energy levels are low and even your mood can be affected. In the same manner, children suffer when they aren't getting enough shut-eye. A new study led by University of British Columbia sleep expert and nursing professor, Wendy Hall, suggests good sleep hygiene could be the secret to children getting that much-needed quality sleep. If you've never heard of this elusive "sleep hygiene", it essentially just means a decent bedtime routine. This includes things like providing a cool and quiet sleeping environment, reading before bedtime, or giving kids a bath to help them unwind. Speaking about the importance of sleep Dr Hall said:

"Research tells us that kids who don't get enough sleep on a consistent basis are more likely to have problems at school and develop more slowly than their peers who are getting enough sleep."

The new sleep study which was published in Science Daily, focused on 44 studies from 16 countries and Dr Hall found:

"Good-to-strong endorsement of certain sleep hygiene practices for younger kids and school-age kids: regular bedtimes, reading before bed, having a quiet bedroom, and self-soothing - where you give them opportunities to go to sleep and go back to sleep on their own, if they wake up in the middle of the night."

Even in older children, the study suggested good nighttime routines improved sleep quality. It also highlighted the negative impact interacting with technology before bed can have as it activates the brain and leaves no time to wind down. If you're wondering how much sleep your child should be getting, The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends the following amounts of sleep, based on age group:

• 4 to 12 months -- 12 to 16 hours
• 1 to 2 years -- 11 to 14 hours
• 3 to 5 years -- 10 to 13 hours
• 6 to 12 years -- 9 to 12 hours
• 13 to 18 years -- 8 to 10 hours