Every child looks forward to the school holidays. It’s a chance for them to relax after a long year at school, seeing their friends and enjoying a seemingly endless stretch of free time.

But while the summer holidays can be great for kids in lots of ways, they aren’t necessarily the best thing when it comes to maintaining a clear sleep schedule. All too often, the lack of school causes our kids to abandon any structure, going to bed and waking up whenever they want.

Why does this matter? Well, an established sleep–wake cycle is important for our physical and mental health; even more so when it comes to children. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day improves your child’s chances of having a good night’s sleep, which helps their body heal, their mind restore itself and their energy levels and mood stay high throughout the day.

Luckily, there are ways to tackle this summer slump. Here are six simple ways to maintain a sleep routine even during the summer holidays.

Establish a regular wake-up time

It can be tempting not to set an alarm for your kids during the summer, but it’s still important that they get up at the same time every day, even at the weekend. A regular wake-up time is important in order to strengthen your child’s body clock. It doesn’t have to be as early as during school time, but it should be the same every day and not too late.

Keep a familiar routine no matter where you are

For many families, summer means a summer holiday, but don’t let your sleep schedule go slack just because you’re away. Keep the same bedtime routine you carry out at home, as this will help your kids establish familiarity despite the new surroundings. You can even consider bringing familiar bedtime items like a teddy bear or book.

Introduce wind-down time

Bright screens can inhibit our release of melatonin – the chemical that tells our body that it’s time to turn in. Introducing wind down time away from tablets and televisions can help your kids feel more ready for bed, so opt instead for jigsaw puzzles, colouring or reading during this time.

Keep bedrooms cool

Even if you get your kids to bed on time, the summer heat can stop them from enjoying a restful night’s sleep. Make sure their bedroom isn’t too hot for them during the night by keeping the curtains closed during the day and swapping a heavy duvet for a lighter sheet.

Invest in blackout blinds

Just as heat can be a factor in sleep health, so can light. In the summer, the sun rises much earlier and sets much later, and this can make it confusing for your child if they’re going to bed while the sun’s still up. Investing in blackout blinds can help your kids get a good night’s sleep even in the summer, and they can also keep the room cool.

Start again from scratch if necessary

If your summer sleep schedule has already gone to seed completely, don’t panic. Simply start building it up again from scratch. Over the last couple of weeks of the holiday, gradually move bedtime forward by fifteen minutes every three nights. Do this until your child is going to sleep at their regular bedtime by the time they start again at school, cutting out any adjustment period.

The first step to a great night’s sleep is a great mattress. Discover what makes a Mammoth mattress so special by testing driving one for yourself today. Simply click here to find your nearest retailer.

The post 6 ways to maintain a sleep routine in your house during the summer holidays appeared first on Mammoth Perks.

A set sleep routine goes a long way to improving your sleep health. While we sleep, our body repairs, restores and rejuvenates for the day ahead, and going to bed and getting up at the same time every day maximises your chances of experiencing a solid chunk of high quality sleep each night. This is particularly important for children, whose bodies are continually growing and changing.

Which is why the summer holidays can be a time of concern for many parents. Without the regular routine of school it’s all too easy for children to lose any sense of a set sleeping pattern, and recent research suggests this could be causing significant damage to their overall health.

In fact, recent Irish research suggests that children who stay up late during the summer holidays could be impacting their mental wellbeing, increasing stress levels. Irish paediatric sleep expert Lucy Wolfe also suggests that poor sleep could be a factor in conditions like childhood obesity, diabetes and difficulty learning.

Wolfe comments: “Now that the summer holiday is upon us, the inclination to allow bedtimes to start later and to have a more relaxed attitude to sleep is appropriate, but not at the expense of the child getting less than what is advised.

“Some of the problems with a later bedtime are that although many children will sleep later in the morning to make up the difference, the vast majority of children will not and as a result, will get less sleep.”

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, children aged between three and five should be aiming to get 13 hours of sleep per night. For children between the ages of six and twelve, 10 to 12 hours of sleep is recommended, while teenagers should aim for 8-10 hours of sleep a night. It’s important to try and encourage your little ones to stick to these guidelines, even when they don’t have to wake up early for school.

What can you do to maintain your child’s sleeping pattern during the summer?

Establish a regular wake up time

Even if they aren’t waking up as early as during term time, your children should still have a consistent wake up time. CEO of The Children’s Sleep Charity, Vicki Dawson, says: “Make sure that they get up at the same time each day, even at weekends. Having a regular wake up time is important in order to strengthen your child’s body clock.”

Maintain a routine even when away from home

If your summer includes a trip abroad, try to maintain a routine when away too. If your little one’s usual nightly ritual is bath, story, bed, do the same thing every night when you’re away. You should also pack familiar items like a teddy bear to provide comfort in new surroundings.

Introduce a wind down period

Avoid screens for an hour before bed time, as these can interfere with your child’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin and make it harder to drift off. Instead, introduce a wind down period involving jigsaws, colouring or stories.

Keep the bedroom cool and dark

We all know that the temperature rises and the days get longer during the summer, and this can make it trickier for your kids to fall asleep and stay asleep. Blackout blinds are good investment during this time of year, as these can help keep the room cool and dark during the day.

Build up a routine slowly

If your child’s routine has already gone out the window, start again from scratch and build a sleep schedule slowly. One option is to spend the last two weeks of the holiday gradually moving their bedtime forwards by 10 minutes every night. By the time they return to school, they’ll be back to their usual routine.

A new mattress could be the key to a great night’s sleep for your little ones. Test drive a Mammoth mattress today by clicking here and finding your nearest retailer.

The post Are the summer holidays damaging your kids’ sleep patterns? appeared first on Mammoth Perks.