Study Reveals Mums Who Put Their Children To Bed Early Are Happier

Tired? Grumpy? Sex-life in a slump? You are not alone, mamas. But you'll be happy to hear that there might be one quick-fix solution to all of these problems: Just put your kids to bed earlier.

According to new research presented last week in Australia, giving kids an early bedtime, meaning well before 8:30 p.m, is actually the key element of a happy, well-rested family. Get that, guys! Key Element!

The study focused on how an earlier bedtime for kids means parents have more hours to focus on self-care, catch up on obligations, and spend alone time as a couple, plus they get a good night’s rest — and that makes for a more balanced life and happier adults.

"This is valuable information for parents, many of whom will know about how important it is for their kids to get lots of sleep overall but not much about how significant the bedtime itself is,” said lead researcher Dr. Jon Quach of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne.

The study included 3,600 Australian children during their first nine years of life, and results showed that the mothers of kids who went to bed before 8:30 p.m. had better mental health than mothers of kids with later bedtimes.

Get that: The little buggers and their reluctance to sleep actually endangers our mental health!

And more importantly, when kids have a late bedtime, parents often stay up even later just to squeeze in a few quiet moments or finish up work, which no doubt impacts on our own sleep.

“Those last moments of the day are such intense family time, and you’re using so much of yourself to be present for your child, but after bedtime the night is yours,” explains Conner Herman, co-founder of Dream Team Baby, an infant and toddler sleep consultancy based in Manhattan.

“That’s when you can relax your mind and your body and focus on any last things you need to get done or just talk to your partner or read or watch a show on TV. Everyone needs that shutting-down time.”

You don't need to tell us twice; shutting-down time, here we come! When is bedtime in YOUR house? At what age do YOU let your kids stay up a little later? Send me an e-mail at Trine.Jensen@HerFamily.ie and let us know.