When I was a child, a special treat was to have a sleepover at my grandparents’ house. My grandfather was an early riser and to this day I can still hear him roaring “When Pop-Pop’s up, EVERYBODY’S UP!” as I awoke to the aroma of my grandmother’s hot breakfast.
As all parents know, when BABY’s up, EVERYBODY’s up. What‘s the secret to good sleep? It’s all in the bedtime routine.
Parents should establish a good bedtime routine starting when their children are babies and continue to enforce the routine throughout their child’s life. Just as prevention of heart disease begins with establishing healthy eating and exercise habits when your children are young, prevention of adult insomnia starts with establishing a healthy bedtime routine.
Here are ways to help your kids sleep from infancy through young adulthood: Start with our most commented upon podcast: how to help your baby to sleep through the night. Parent's of preschool-aged kids will appreciate"sleep invaders": nightmares, night terrors, and other monsters under the bed . Even if you don't have a teen, plug in our podcast on the Tired Teen .
Now that winter break is a memory, it’s time to buckle down and rid your child of the jet lag that persists from the “vacation sleep schedule.” For more ways to do this, refer to Wakeup sleepyhead its time for school.
May you have a good night this and every night!
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2014 Two Peds in a Pod®