One of the more difficult times of day for me and my kids is bedtime! There are days that it goes so smoothly and days that I feel like there are all of the distractions and procrastination attempts! One of the things that has really helped us though is a good bedtime routine and more consistent time for bed. Bedtime routines are so great for kids to get their bodies and brains ready for sleep. When it’s a consistent routine, they begin to know exactly what is coming next, often are falling asleep faster, and get better sleep overall. Sleep is so important for many reasons for all of us! It helps our bodies recover be ready to learn and function at it’s best. If it is not good and restful sleep, it impacts overall growth and development of our kids.
One of the questions on our intake packet involves sleep. This is a big section that we continue to come back to and ask more clarifying questions. We ask a lot about how long, the quality, breathing habits during sleep, and overall behavior during the day. Some of the things that we know show lower quality sleep include:
I know as a parent that once they fall asleep, we know when they come out of their bed or they wake up enough to call to get out, but the actual quality often requires more work on my end to check in throughout the night. It is important to know what the quality o sleep is, especially if they are having difficulty with attention, development, or language/learning. Studies have shown that sleep that is interrupted impacts all of these areas of growth and development and continue to if not addressed. These are all symptoms of some airway difficulties and breathing difficulties at night. If your child exhibits any of these symptoms, you should bring it up to your therapist and your child’s pediatrician to see if a referral for ENT is warranted to address it! As always, if you are not currently on a schedule and have additional questions, do not hesitate to reach out!
-Amber-