Child's room - Sleep, sleep and again ... sleep. But why?

Child's room - Sleep, sleep and again ... sleep. But why?

Every year, almost always in March, we celebrate sleeping. Yes that's right, that's exactly it:)

The day in question is the World Sleep Day. On this day, events are organized around the world and on the Internet, which include various types of discussions, presentations of educational materials, exhibitions and more. Among them there are also people who, in order to celebrate this day, simply close the shutters, close the blinds, mute their cell phones, lock themselves in their rooms or sneak quietly into the children's room and there they simply fall asleep, blissfully and deeply. What do they know that others don’t. What are they aware of that others don't. They know a simple truth that our body tells us, which we are trying to avoid or are no longer able to recognize, which we have forgotten about or our body has forgotten. Namely: sleeping in good conditions, following certain rules that we should remember, rest, good sleep at night, makes us smarter, more attractive, slimmer, happier and healthier. Good sleep also prevents cancer. But that's not all. What is good for adults is also true for children, especially if we want them to develop good habits from an early age. It has already been widely proven that while we adults are still ending our daily affairs, be it home, work or other chores, our children, who have been sleeping in their room for a long time, precisely while sleeping they develop. It is at night, when children sleep in their beds, that brain cells grow and regenerate. Scientists have discovered and already sufficiently proven that adequate sleep promotes better (calm) behavior, and the increased attention that children who sleeps better characterize improves memory, emotional control and overall self-control. Lack of sleep on the other hand, can lead to disorders such as diabetes and obesity, and increases the risk of high blood pressure, depression, and accidental physical injury such as falls or cuts. In a word, sleep promotes health, both physical and mental. Therefore, sleep is essential to a healthy lifestyle and it is extremely important to promote good habits from an early age. This is especially important for children reaching adolescence. Even if they tend to no longer be in their room, children's room, go out somewhere else, sleep less and less… even during this period they need many hours of sleep. To ensure a comfortable and restorative sleep for both children and adolescents, but also adults, the following three factors should always be kept in mind:

1. Sleep duration: it should be long enough for the sleeping person to feel well rested, alert and ready for the next day.
2. Continuity of sleeping: it should not be interrupted.
3. Depth: Sleep should be deep enough for you to get a good rest.

These three conditions, which should be observed at all times and at all ages, are accompanied by others, recommended in particular to all children, and developed by the International Sleep Medicine Association. We list them here below :)

1. Make your child sleep in his room before 21:00. Waking up should be based on the recommended amount of sleep *.
2. Planned hours of falling asleep and waking up should be respected not only on weekdays, but also on weekends.
3. Adopt specific sleeping habits throughout the home and in the children's room. In particular, dress children in comfortable clothes, including diapers suitable for younger children.
4. After putting your child to bed, let him fall asleep by himself.
5. The bedroom should be darkened during sleep. Bedroom lighting should be used when getting up in the morning.
6. Electronic devices such as computers, televisions and mobile phones should not be in a child's room or bedroom. Their use just before bedtime should be very limited.
7. Daily activities should be regular, especially when it comes to meals.
8. At set times of the day and for an age appropriate amount of time, your child should take naps even during the day.
9. Make sure your child is physically active and is in the fresh air for a sufficient amount of time during the day.
10. Eliminate caffeinated foods such as sodas, coffee, and tea from your child's diet. 

Optimal conditions in a child's room. What to especially avoid.

1. Sunlight is the strongest indicator of time. At the wrong time, exposure to light will disrupt your child’s circadian rhythm, even if his lifestyle is very regular. To strengthen your child's circadian rhythm, illuminate their bedroom well during the day and make sure they are exposed to as much daylight as possible when leaving the house. In the evening, however, when the child is in his room, avoid exposure to light, especially blue light that falls directly on the eyes. This light is emitted mainly from television screens and computer monitors. Therefore, avoid children sitting in the bedroom in front of computers or watching TV three hours before going to bed. If this is not feasible and there is no chance of success, avoid it at least for the last hour before going to bed, it is an absolute minimum. Blue light inhibits the release of melatonin, and thus for the brain it is a clear signal: it's dawn, it's the beginning of the day. The sunset is yellow-red, warm, so this kind of warm light should be used in the evening in different rooms of the house and, of course, in the children's room. If you have a good habit of reading fairy tales to children in the evening, the reading light should be placed behind your head. So arrange your child's bedroom so that there are warm lights in it, not cold and bright, where you can see everything. Lighting in your child's room is very important, so make sure that even at the expense of very good visibility in the bedroom in the evening there is some shade in the bedroom, warm, kind of
2. The daily body temperature rhythm reaches its peak around 6 p.m., so in order to ensure a deep and restful sleep for the child, the conditions in which it should be should favor a gradual drop in temperature until the early morning hours. morning. For this reason, you should not play sports or do heavy physical exertion up to three hours before bedtime. You should also avoid very stormy games that could take place in the bedroom or in the children's room just before going to bed. The same goes for hard-to-digest meals and hot baths. These activities increase body temperature, which interferes with the slow process that leads to sleep. To ensure adequate thermoregulation during sleep, it is also necessary to ensure proper ventilation of the bedroom: the optimal temperature in the room should be 18-21 ° C.

*. Researchers indicate an adequate amount of sleep for infants from 4 months of age, through children and adolescents, up to 18 years of age:

• a child aged 4 to 12 months - should sleep for 12 to 16 hours a day, at regular intervals (including naps),
• a child aged 1-2 years - should sleep from 11 to 14 hours a day at regular intervals (including naps),
• 3-5 years old child - should sleep 10 to 13 hours a day at regular intervals (including naps),
• a child aged 6 to 12 - should sleep 9 to 12 hours a day,
• a child aged 13-18 - should sleep 8-10 hours a day