Children's sleeping habits are a worry to parents throughout their lives
When they are babies because it seems that they do not sleep at all. I say seems because they actually sleep much more than an adult - like double. They can sleep up to 16 hours a day. But as they do not sleep at the same times that we adults like to sleep, i.e. at night, we get the impression that they do not sleep at all.
When they are older and finally, we have managed to establish the "bath-dinner-teeth-and-bed" at a more or less reasonable time routine, it turns out that the biological alarm clock that makes them wake up at 7.00 in the morning on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays activates. Are they never going to sleep until 10.00?
Then comes adolescence and it was 10.00 and 11.00 ... 12.00 and 1.00, 2.00 and 3.00 ...
It seems that they will never wake up. Until we call them to eat - because at this stage too, hunger is stronger than sleep and they end up getting up for "break-lunch", or brunch, which is cooler.
Because of course, at this age it is never a good time to go to bed.
Go to sleep now! - whenever we pass by their room at 11.00-12.00 at night and we see that they are still awake, glued to the cell phone, or, with luck, to a book.
But he/she will not sleep.
It is true that we can achieve better sleeping habits if they do not have TV in the room or stay up watching movies on the computer or on the cell phone. But that is only part of the problem.
When adolescence arrives there is a change in sleep patterns and they cannot fall asleep so early. It is what is known as phase delay. They fall asleep later, but since they are forced to get up early, it is much harder for them to wake up and they can have a hard time during the day, suffering drowsiness, fatigue, difficulty paying attention, etc.
Adolescence is a difficult stage. The last thing they want is to be sent to bed. It is important to make them understand that we know it is not their fault. We know that they are not playing with the cell phone because they want to challenge us (well ..., maybe a little too, but it is better not to give it too much importance). That we know that tomorrow they will have a hard time not having rested well.
If we get them to understand that we are not judging them, maybe we can get them to listen to us and we can give them some advice to help them sleep better.
Exercising outdoors, taking advantage of daylight helps the body to reprogram the circadian rhythm - re-learn that day is day and night is night.
Establish a "relaxing" routine before going to bed, but it should not be too long.
Better to leave the cell phone in the living room, so as not to be tempted to use it.
They can go to bed a little later if necessary, to be a bit tired.
If you want to know more,…
Sueño en el adolescente. Síndrome de retraso de fase. (Enfamilia. AEP)