Hospital admissions of children with sleep disorders are on the rise and experts have described this worrying problem as a ‘hidden health crisis’. It is more important than ever that careful planning and consideration is made when designing your child’s bedroom to ensure it is a place they feel relaxed, safe and comfortable to have a restful night’s sleep.
Here are 5 ways you can optimise your child’s room to boost sleep and serenity:
Eliminate clutter
Your bedroom is your sanctuary, and your children’s is theirs; it should be a relaxing and peaceful space. Clutter can distract from this and make falling asleep difficult. Spending the time to put things in their rightful place can have a big impact – make use of drawers, wardrobes, and shelves!
The darker the better
Light and darkness are powerful cues that let our bodies know when it’s time to rest or to get up for a new day. The Sleep Foundation advise that light in the bedroom impacts quality of sleep; artificial light after dark can make it harder to fall asleep and to stay asleep. So, consider replacing your child’s curtains with blackout blinds to help keep their body in sleep mode.
No screen zone
Televisions and the light they emit are not conducive for a good night’s sleep. Specifically, the ‘blue light’ they produce, which boosts attention and reaction times is counterproductive to getting your child to sleep. The National Sleep Foundation has shown that the light suppresses melatonin production, making it harder to get to sleep and reducing the quality of sleep.
To promote a sleep haven, it is advisable to make the bedroom a ‘no screen zone’, especially a no TV zone! Instead, mount a scenic, relaxing canvas to the wall – seeing something gratifying or inspiring before your child shuts their eyes will lessen any anxiety.
The view from their bed
Repositioning their bed to offer a clear view of the door is an easy change to make and a simple calming technique. The Healthy Home explains it’ll help your child to drop their guard and to feel they’re in a protected space, hence, feeling they can relax into a peaceful night’s sleep.
Minimise the disruption of sleepovers
Sleepovers are a right of passage for any child – but it’s not always the midnight feasts leaving them groggy after a poor-quality night’s sleep. Sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor can be seriously uncomfortable and cold, resulting in intermittent sleep. To overcome this, a super fun idea would be to consider investing in a bunk bed for kids from Room to Grow. They don’t take up any additional space in your child’s bedroom and are excellent for sleepovers; when the kids do finally doze off they’ll have a restorative night’s sleep and (hopefully) won’t wake up like zombies the next day!
Poppy Watt