To the schoolboy: how to sleep to get a good night's sleep?

Often, a child can study worse and feel worse when, simply... he doesn't get enough sleep. Even if you put your schoolchild to bed at exactly 10 p.m., he may still sleep poorly. There may be different reasons for a schoolchild's poor sleep - an incorrectly placed pillow, a room that is not ventilated enough, the apartment is too hot or too cold... There are many other reasons that prevent a schoolchild from getting enough sleep and being healthy. Our tips will help you optimize your schoolchild's nighttime rest so that he is full of energy throughout the day.

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The Secret to Good Sleep Every Night

What works for one child may not work for another. It is important to find healthy sleep strategies for school children that work for them. The first step to improving the quality of your child’s rest is to figure out how many hours of sleep they need. Younger children should sleep up to 10 hours each night, middle schoolers up to 9 hours, and teenagers at least 8 hours. This will give them time to recover from a full day of school.

Tip #1: Maintain a regular sleep schedule

A consistent sleep schedule is one of the most important strategies for achieving good rest. If your child follows a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, he will feel much more refreshed than if he sleeps the same number of hours but at different times. This works even if you only change the sleep schedule by an hour or two.

How to get your child to bed on time? Have your child go to bed at the same time every night. Try not to break this routine on weekends, when it is so tempting to go to bed late and wake up late. If you need to change your child's sleep schedule, help the body adjust these habits by making daily changes, such as putting your child to bed 15 minutes earlier each day.

Have your child wake up at the same time every day. If your child gets enough sleep, he or she will wake up without an alarm clock. If your child needs an alarm clock to wake up on time, he or she may need to go to bed earlier than usual. Try to maintain this tradition even on weekends.

How to make up for lost sleep. You can't completely restore lost sleep, but it won't hurt your child to rest. To do this, you need to put him to bed after classes, but not until late, but for a maximum of half an hour or an hour. This strategy allows you to pay off the "debt" of sleep without disrupting the natural rhythm of the student's life.

How to combat sleepiness after lunch? If your child says he or she wants to sleep, you need to gently stimulate him or her to avoid falling asleep. Give him or her the task of washing dishes, preparing clothes for the next day, or just running around outside. If your child gives in to sleepiness during the day and sleeps for 3-4 hours after school, he or she may not sleep at night.

Optimal sleep pattern for a schoolchild

You need to choose a period of time (a week or two, for example, during the holidays) when you can freely experiment with different sleep and wake patterns for your school-age child. Have him go to bed at the same time every night, and sleep until he wakes up on his own. During this time, turn off the alarm. If your child is a poor sleeper, it may take several weeks to recover. But if your child goes to bed and wakes up at the same time, he will eventually settle into a natural sleep pattern.

Tip #2: You need to naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle

Melatonin is a natural hormone that helps regulate a student's sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin production is largely dependent on light. The brain should secrete more melatonin in the evening when it gets dark to keep the student asleep, and less during the day when the student perceives bright light, then he is awake. However, many aspects of modern life can disrupt the body's natural perception of melatonin and with it the sleep-wake cycle.

A long day in a classroom with natural light, for example, can affect a student's daytime alertness and make their brain feel less sleepy. Bright light at night, especially in front of a TV or computer screen, can suppress the body's production of melatonin, making them less sleepy. However, there are ways to naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle, increase melatonin production, and maintain a healthy schedule.

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Increasing illumination during the day

Let the student spend more time outdoors during daylight hours. Let him be outside when there is sunlight, let him do physical exercises outside, let him walk the dog during the day, not at night.

Let as much light into your home as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day, and move your desk closer to the window.

Use light therapy if needed. Daylight lamps can simulate sunlight and are especially helpful during the short winter days when daylight is limited.

Increase Melatonin Production at Night

Turn off the TV and computer before bed. Many parents turn on the TV for their child to help him fall asleep or relax at the end of the day. But this is a mistake: Not only does light suppress melatonin production, but television also stimulates the brain of a schoolchild, rather than relaxing it. Try letting your child listen to music or audio books instead of watching TV before bed, or practice relaxation exercises.

Don't let your child read to you at night with a light (like an iPad). If you do let your child use a portable electronic device to read, make sure it's a book that requires an additional light source, like a bedside lamp.

Check the light bulbs. Avoid bright lights before your baby goes to bed. Use low-wattage bulbs instead of bright ones.

When it's time to sleep, make sure your baby's room is dark. The darker the bedroom, the better your baby will sleep. Use heavy curtains to block out the light from the window or try offering your baby an eye mask.

Place a flashlight near your baby's pillow so he can go to the toilet at night. Until then, turn down the lights in all rooms to a minimum - this will make it easier for your baby to fall asleep.

Tip #3: Create a relaxing environment for your child before bed.

If you consistently make sure your child is rested and relaxed before bed, he or she will fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. A peaceful environment before bed sends a powerful signal to the child's brain that it is time to calm down and let go of the stresses of the day.

Make your child's bedroom suitable for sleep

Reduce noise in the house as much as possible. If you can't avoid noise (barking dogs, loud neighbors, city traffic), or other people in your family are noisy, try masking it with a fan, or let your child listen to recordings of soothing sounds, such as the sound of the sea. Earplugs in your child's ears can also help them get rid of excess noise before bed.

Keep the room temperature cool. The temperature in your child’s bedroom also affects their sleep. Most people sleep better in a slightly cool room (around 18°C) with good ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with the quality of a school-age child’s sleep.

Make sure your child's bed is comfortable. There should be enough space for him to stretch out and sleep comfortably. If your child often wakes up with back or neck pain, parents may want to consider investing in a new mattress or trying a different pillow. Experiment with different levels of mattress firmness and pillows to find out if they will provide extra comfort for your child.

The bed must not be used for eating or playing.

If a child associates their bed with events other than sleep, such as playing or eating, they will have a harder time falling asleep. So when a child goes to bed, their body receives a powerful signal: it’s time to fall asleep.

Relaxing Sleep Rituals

1. Read a book or magazine in soft light
2. Take a warm bath before bed
3. Listen to pleasant music
4. Do some simple relaxation exercises
5. Take up your favorite hobby
6. Listen to audiobooks

Tip #4: Let your student eat right and exercise regularly.

Healthy eating and exercise play an important role in how well a school child sleeps. It is especially important that the child eats within a few hours before bedtime.

A schoolchild should not eat at night. Let him eat early in the evening, this will help him avoid heavy foods within two hours before bedtime. Fatty foods overtax the digestive system of a schoolchild. Also, be careful when it comes to spicy or sour foods in the evening, as they can cause stomach problems for the schoolchild and heartburn.

Let the child not drink a lot of liquid before bedtime. A large amount of liquid reduces the quality of sleep of the schoolchild, as it overfills his bladder. To avoid this effect, it is better not to drink more than 1 glass of milk for several hours before bedtime.

Have your child cut back on caffeine. You may be surprised to learn that caffeine can cause sleep problems if consumed after 11:50 a.m.! It is advisable for a school-age child to avoid caffeine in the afternoon.

If a schoolchild wants to eat before bed

For some children, a light snack before bed can help them fall asleep. When your child eats vegetables or fruit with carbohydrates, this can help calm the brain and help them sleep better. When other children eat before bed, this can lead to poor digestion and make it difficult to sleep. Experiment with your child’s eating habits to determine the optimal dinner menu. If your child needs a snack before bed, try giving them a couple of hours before bed:

1. A small piece of white meat
2. A small bowl of low-sugar whole grain cereal
3. A glass of low-fat milk or yogurt
4. Banana

A child sleeps more deeply if he or she exercises regularly. You don’t have to be a sports star to sleep well; just twenty to thirty minutes of daily exercise can help you fall asleep. Let your child go for a walk, ride a bike down the street, or use an exercise bike.

Some parents prefer to exercise with their child in the morning or afternoon, this can stimulate the child's body, increasing his energy. Relaxing exercises, such as yoga or light stretching, can improve the child's sleep.

Tip #5: Reduce your child's stress levels

Some children are unable to sleep or wake up every night. Tension, anxiety before bedtime can make the process of falling asleep very difficult. When a child wakes up at night and cannot fall asleep, he may need the help of a doctor-psychologist.

Relaxation Techniques for a Restful Sleep

Relaxation is a very good technique for those who want to sleep peacefully. Practicing relaxation before bed is a great way to calm the mind and prepare the body for sleep. Some simple relaxation techniques include

Deep breathing: Have your child close his eyes and take deep, slow breaths, making each breath deeper than the last.

Muscle relaxation: Give your baby a massage starting from the toes, this will help him to relax completely.

Have your child imagine a peaceful, calm place before bed. Have your child close his eyes before bed and imagine places or activities that calm him down. Have your child focus on how to get to that place. This will help him fall asleep faster.

Tip #6: Find the best opportunities to fall asleep.

If your child wakes up during the night and has trouble falling asleep, the following tips may help.

Teach your child to use visualization. If you find that your child has difficulty falling asleep, teach him to use relaxation techniques, visualization, deep breathing, or meditation, even without getting out of bed. This is not a substitute for sleep, but it helps prepare him for it.

Let the child avoid anxious thoughts before bedtime and difficult tasks. If the child is worried about something in the evening, ask him to put it off until the next morning, and in the meantime let him briefly write down these tasks and put them on the nightstand. Tomorrow he will be able to solve them more productively.

You should be concerned about your schoolchild's proper sleep and seek help from a doctor if you notice at least one of the following symptoms.

• Constant daytime sleepiness or fatigue
• Loud snoring accompanied by pauses in breathing
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• A dream after which a schoolboy wakes up tired and exhausted
• Frequent headaches in the morning
• Feelings of numbness in the arms or legs at night
• Inability to move when falling asleep or waking up
• Difficulty falling asleep

All these tips will help your school-age child sleep so that he or she gets enough sleep and is a healthy, energetic child.