Story highlights
- A lack of sleep can contribute to behavior issues and even health problems such as obesity
- Many parents worry that media and technology interfere with bedtime routines and sleep
Parents know firsthand the impact a poor night’s sleep has on kids. Lack of sleep can contribute to crankiness, problems with attention and learning, behavior issues, and even health problems such as obesity. Though the reasons for poor sleep vary, many parents worry that media and technology interfere with bedtime routines and sleep.
Studies on how media use affects kids’ sleep aren’t conclusive. But they do highlight certain behaviors that are associated with poor sleep. We’ve put together a list of 10 tips to make your kid sleep better. We hope you find something that works for you.
Encourage physical activity instead of screen time after school
After a long day at school, many kids just want to plop down in front of a computer or TV and veg out. Although kids definitely deserve a break, studies show that increasing physical activity during the day can lead to better sleep.
Keep devices off the bed
It’s possible that the blue light emitted from laptops, tablets, and smartphones interrupts sleep patterns. Set up other comfy spots in the living room or on the bedroom floor for tweens and teens to do computer work or just enjoy their screen time.
Try white-noise apps to calm babies and toddlers
Limit young kids’ exposure to violent content
Especially for kids under 8, seeing violence in videos, on TV shows, in video games, and in movies can directly affect quality sleep. Exposure to media violence can increase kids’ anxiety and lead to nightmares that interrupt the sleep cycle.
Keep TVs out of the bedroom
The connection between bedroom TV and poor sleep is well established. Kids don’t sleep as well or as long with a TV present.
Make the bedroom a “no-connection” zone
The growing trend of sleep-texting is a disturbing enough reason to play it safe. Confine online activity to common areas such as the dining room or living room and have kids charge their phones in another room at night.
Related: How do screens such as TV and smartphones affect my kids sleep?
We hope these 10 tips to make your kid sleep better really helps you and your baby.