6 Factors that wreck your childs sleep (and your sanity)

06

Factors That Wreck

Your Child's

SLEEP (and your sanity)

Help your 2-6 year old sleep better: Read this e-book in 10 minutes!

Sweet dreams and a good night’s sleep is important for a child’s health — and the sanity of their parents.

Research shows that children need more sleep than adults. But toddlers and growing children often don’t sleep well. This lack of sleep affects their concentration levels, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.

According to doctors and child experts in Finland, this more or less summarizes everything they should do to perform well in school.

Sufficient sleep also helps keep their memory in good condition. Without this, the child will have trouble retaining information.

So what is it that’s stopping your kid from getting a good night’s rest? Read through these surprising sleep-stealers that experts talk of:

01

Tubby kids

Obesity is one of the primary reasons that kids don’t sleep well at night. Check out these symptoms: l Does your child snore at night and seem sleepy throughout the day? l Is your child obese or overweight as per the pediatrician?

If yes, then fighting obesity could help your child get better sleep. Obesity leads to a condition called OSA or Obstruction Sleep Apnea.

It occurs when your child repeatedly stops breathing when he/she is asleep. This happens because oxygen levels are cut off to vital organs like the heart and brain.

This disorder can be detrimental for growing kids because getting sufficient oxygen is vital for their growth and brain development.

Almost 1/5th of obese kids because there is more fatty tissue in their neck and throat area. This cuts down or reduces the flow of air and tends to make it difficult to breathe.

A leading Finland doctor who specialises in respiratory problems and sleep patterns commented tat excessive fat in the stomach area also leads to OSA. What do experts suggest?

Doctors suggest that the first step to fighting this problem is ensuring a healthy weight.

Coincidentally weight and sleep are interrelated. Research shows that kids who sleep at least 10 hours a day are less obese.

You should try to encourage them in active play, which is something Curious Kids play-school strictly believes in.

Curious Kids preschool — inspired by Finland’s curriculum is fully focused on activity-based learning. We understand that sedate lifestyles, especially screen time have made kids less playful.

That is why we encourage play-based learning. Our education includes a healthy balance of play and active learning to keep your child healthy.

We give special attention to the child’s awareness in the class. Any sluggish or sleepy behaviour pattern is immediately addressed with the parents.

We advise parents to give healthy and fresh foods in the lunch boxes. Also, we encourage kids to eat on their own.

Did you know that feeding in front of the television/ screen leads to overeating?

Some children may tend to be hyperactive and restless right before bedtime.

Setting a pattern or establishing a routine could help. Think reading them bedtime stories or playing soothing music.

If you feel your child is not sleeping well or has OSA, you should immediately take them to the doctor.

Sleep time chart for kids Toddlers 1-2 years:

11-13 hours (including nap)

Pre-schoolers 2-6 years:

10-12 hours (including nap)

02

Wrong food/drink at the wrong time

Our food behavior impacts our habits in such a BIG way. A soft drink, chocolate or sweet a couple of hours before bedtime will have your little monkey jumping on the bed!

Any food that contains a high amount of sugar or similar stimulant should not be given to kids in the evening. Doctors advise that after 5.pm, DO NOT give sweets/ chocolates, etc. to kids Leading doctors adds that any food which stimulates hyperactivity should be avoided — and sugar is the number one cause!

What sugar does to kids?

This not only applies to kids but also to as adults. So bear this in mind when you say NO sugar to your kid: • High sugar food causes obesity • It leads to insulin surge & could trigger childhood diabetes • It triggers hyperactivity and increases aggressive behaviour • Sugar has a high glycemic index that triggers gastric disorders

Glycemic index or GI is defined as the value to assess how quickly or slowly the body digests a particular food. This is mostly used for carbohydrate foods i.e. rice, wheat, etc. and their affect on blood sugar. Foods with GI of above 70 are not good for the body.

Say NO to sugar-laden food like: • Chocolates/cookies/biscuits • Desi sweets (laddoo, barfi, etc) • Any aerated drink • Packaged juices and foods

It is advised that you give your child dinner at least 2 hours before bedtime. Alongside, if you have to give a sports or energy drink, save it for earlier in the day.

At Curious Kids playschool, we encourage the consumption of healthy fortified cereals, drinks, etc. only during the day time. Avoid the same in the evenings.

At our preschools, we constantly teach children about healthy eating.

Parents can try giving them chips that are made at home. Banana chips instead of potato chips or soy sticks are healthier!

Indian foods like paratha/roti or even crispy khakra (toasty thin roti) are easily available. Do check the ingredients when you buy cookies, drinks, etc. Avoid ones with a high glycemic index (above 70 is not good).

03

Too much screen time

Doctors say that to induce sleep, you should switch off all electrical devices like the tablet, phone, TV, etc. at least 30-40 minutes before going to sleep.

These devices tend to dilate the pupil and keep children awake, even though their body might be screaming SLEEP! Tablets — like iPad — also restrain outdoor or playtime. A child eventually emulates the adult. If you are avoiding outdoor activity and spending too much time on WhatsApp or social media cannot blame junior, can you?

Outdoor time is a must to stimulate a healthy sleep pattern.

Remember sunset and sunrise are nature’s ways of saying good morning and good night. Sure with technology, we have extended this privilege a bit!

Research shows that spending time in daylight helps to regulate a healthy sleep pattern — not to orget vitamin D. On the contrary, spending too much time indoors means exposure to blue light. This tricks the brain — it cannot distinguish between night and day!

A leading consultant doctor warns, “This means that your child’s body is unable to realize or distinguish between day and night.” So though the body wants to sleep, the mind triggers another pattern.

What you should do?

Apart from exceptional circumstances, inculcate outdoor play habits in your kid.

• With restrictions on outdoor activities, try engaging them in active

play • If you have a balcony, it's a great spot for parent-child yoga • Avoid bright lights for at least 2 hours before the child heads to bed.

• No smartphones, no fitness trackers, no iPad, nothing before bed.

At Curious Kids preschool, we try to encourage outdoor play.

We bring the outdoors indoors with activity centres that improves their motor skills and enhances fitness.

Our classrooms are lit naturally so the child gets the feel of daytime.

We take our children out for short excursions when possible.

We also have provision for indoor swimming pool, indoor play-gym, etc. These are fun and a good form of exercise in hygienic conditions.

04

Restless roommates

Here’s what else you can do: In India, most children sleep with their parents through toddler years. Many sleep with their grandparents or siblings.

Their restless roommates may be the reason your child is not sleeping well.

Co-sleeping can be beneficial but it can also be detrimental when it affects sleep quality. If your child goes to bed early, but you continue watching television or do other activities, it could impact their sleep.

Quality of sleep is also important in this reference. If your child is getting up constantly or disturbed because of co-sleeping, it may be time to think of an alternate arrangement.

If there is a shortage of space or you have to share a bed, considering placing a mattress on the floor. This will give your child a sense of space, without breaking the bank.

• Create a conducive sleep environment • Keep the room dark, use a softer light if possible • Open the windows or keep the AC at 24-25 degrees • Switch on soft music to block external noise

At Curious Kids preschool, parents are welcome to connect with the teachers and counselors regarding sleep pattern issues.

Talk to the Child Success Counselor now +91 63 66 44 86 07

05

Oversleeping on the weekends

Oversleeping or excessive sleep during the weekend does disrupt your weekly routine. It doesn’t mean that you should wake them at school time — but try and not go overboard with the night routine.

Many parents complain to us at Curious Kids preschool that their kids have trouble waking up on Mondays. Well, it’s the weekend sleep pattern to blame here!

Don’t let them stay-up super late just because it’s a holiday tomorrow. If your child sleeps at 8:30 to 9.00 pm they should be in bed by 10.00 pm on weekends.

Overtired children have trouble sleeping. It’s a myth that children sleep more when over-tired! On the contrary, children sleep less when they are over-tired and the quality of sleep is poor too.

A leading sleep expert from Finland advises against resetting your child’s biological clock or sleep pattern for weekends. If your child sleeps late on Friday, make sure they go to bed earlier on Saturday.

This will ensure they sleep on time on Sunday too!

You can also and get your child to bed an hour earlier on Monday.

Doing so helps their body to relax and drift off in time. Don’t let them snooze much because this allows the body to get into a deep sleep!

06

Not considering the psychological aspects

It is important to observe the sleeping pattern of your behavior.

Does your child get up screaming or crying?

Children are often traumatized because of bad dreams and paranoia. This results in issues like sleepwalking, which impacts at least 6% of kids worldwide.

Some of these orders can have genetic traits. So check with your family members and spouse if anyone had a similar history.

Sometimes, it is just sudden changes in their routines. For example: • Did he/she just start a new school?

• Did you move homes or shift?

• Was there a death in your family?

• Did he/she just have a sibling?

Even little changes could trigger disruptive sleep patterns in your child. For example, suddenly a child may start bedwetting.

If your child has any sleep disorder like OSA, sleepwalking or simply having bad dreams do consult with a doctor.

What else can you do?

• Instead of getting angry, try to soothe and calm your child.

• Talk about what happened the next day instead.

• Reassure them for nightmares, tell them it was just a dream.

• For bedwetting, take them to the washroom at during night

if possible

Our teachers and counselors at Curious Kids preschool are there to help you with every aspect of your child’s life. Bed wetting or disturbed sleep patterns could be due to some fear/phobia the child may have.

We have trained faculty and experts who can guide you on handling this situation.

A-BC- let’s sleep (make this in a table or infographic form) Say NO to bright lights Maintain a bedtime routine

NO TV/Tablet/gadgets before bed Do relaxing activities before bed

We hope this e-book brings Sweet Dreams for your little one! We at Curious Kids always encourage parents to develop healthy habits outside of school too. Find a Curious Kids preschool near you.

You can also download the admission form here.

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CK Finland Franchise Team India Call Centre No:

+91 63 66 44 8607 If the number is busy, please call +91 96038.17000

franchise@ckfinland.com | www.ckfinland.com Preschool Brand Website: www.curiouskidsonline.in