THINK, SAY, DO: How Caregivers Can Support Sleep Hygiene for Children

Consistent, sufficient sleep is important for healthy child development and child mental and physical health. Like nutritious meals and regular physical activity, healthy sleep patterns are crucial for the physical, mental, and academic well-being of children and teens. 

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends that children (6-12 years) get between 9 to 12 hours of sleep and teens (13-18 years) get 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night. However, several things (like electronics, early school start times, and stress) can make it hard for children and teens to practice good sleep hygiene  

Healthy sleep includes both sufficient duration and regularity. Sleep should be long enough for your body to cycle through lighter and deeper stages of sleep and consistent so that you can fall and stay asleep at similar times each night. Caregivers can support their families by establishing nighttime routines that promote healthy, high-quality sleep! 

How to Encourage Healthy Sleep Habits in Children

What to THINK: Healthy sleep as a family-wide effort

Caregivers should think of sleep as an important nighttime behavior that supports healthy daytime behaviors. When you are less refreshed in the morning, you and your child may be less likely to engage in behaviors that both promote well-being and require planning (e.g., preparing a healthy breakfast, exercising).

Several factors can get in the way of a good night of rest for children, teens, and even adults. This may include screentime, busy schedules, and even stress.

The family and home environment plays an important role in sleep quality. Family members who stay up late at night and make noise may also disturb child sleep. In other words, sleep quality is shaped by the entire family and can impact you, your child, and your family dynamics. It’s important for caregivers to view poor sleep as a risk factor for every household member, and work together to identify actionable steps to develop healthy sleep routines for the entire family.

What to SAY: Talking about Sleep with your Children

It is helpful for parents to communicate to their children that the amount of sleep that children and teens need shifts as they grow. There may also be individual differences in how much sleep someone needs.

AASM recommendations for sleep based on age are not fixed numbers, but rather a range of hours. It is important for parents to communicate to teens that sleep should be regular. Teens should also know that “catching up” on sleep over the weekend does not hold the same benefits as having a healthy sleep duration every night.

In fact, sleeping in on the weekend may make it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night when transitioning back to a weekday schedule. Lastly, it is helpful to describe the benefits of healthy sleep for other areas of interest to your child/teen. Sufficient sleep is important for athletic performance, academic achievement, and overall well-being.

Caregivers can also talk with their child/teen about:

1. What sets them up for healthy sleep
2. How well-rested the child feels in the morning
3. How healthy sleep can help improve their individual goals (e.g., sports, school)

What to DO: Modeling Healthy Sleep Behaviors

Parents can serve as important models to their children by engaging in healthy sleep habits as a family. Establishing a healthy sleep hygiene routine, a set of practices that support better sleep, is a great starting place.

First, the family should engage in activities focused only on preparing the brain and body for sleep within 90 minutes of bedtime. This means that screens and devices should be limited, and absent if possible, during this period.

Parents can monitor this easily with young children and teens, educate their older adolescents, and practice the behavior themselves as well. Practicing no screen time prior to going to sleep as a family can be encouraging and impactful for good sleep. This is because of the blue light from screens that signals to your body it is not yet time for sleep and because screens can often be very stimulating.

Second, creating a relaxing and consistent nighttime routine can be helpful in building healthy sleep patterns. Many children and adolescents engage in routines that include bathing or showering, reading, or engaging in another relaxing activity. Parents can model a similar routine for their children and help their children develop a routine that is tailored to them and supports achieving the best sleep.

What we eat and drink throughout the day, and especially close to when we go to sleep, can impact our sleep. For example, caffeine intake, including soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, can be managed accordingly and modeled by parents. Ideally, no caffeine should be consumed after 12pm as it takes the body a long time to fully process caffeine. It is also important to limit physical activity to no less than 2 hours before bed.

Lastly, setting the sleep mood is key. Ensure the lighting (e.g., completely dark, nightlight) and temperature (e.g., cool) in your room and your child’s room is set up for a healthy, full night of sleep.

Teaching, modeling, and engaging in evidence-based strategies for healthy sleep as a family yields the highest impact for good sleep. There’s no instant path to healthy sleep. But through regular routines and consistent modeling of healthy behaviors, caregivers can make a big difference.

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