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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nOK, so I realize that the pajamas might not be entirely magic. I also realize there isn\u2019t some single, cure-all magic bullet. Some methods claim they work for every child all of the time, but can that really be true? What does science tell us? Is there anything we can<\/em> do which might help our child (and ourselves) have a better night\u2019s sleep\u2026or at least help us stay sane during the inexplicable times sleep just isn\u2019t happening?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What makes you tick? The secrets of your body clock.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m actually super excited by what I\u2019ve found. I\u2019ve discovered that Chronobiology (\u201cChrono\u201d meaning \u201cclock\u201d), the science of body clocks, is fast becoming one of the most respected and promising areas of current scientific research. It just might hold the secret to a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some solidly researched tips based on the science of Chronobiology to help your child go to sleep and stay in the land of zzz:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have already heard of Melatonin – it\u2019s now a widely-used drug – but did you know that it\u2019s produced naturally by our bodies and controls our body clocks? That\u2019s right, Melatonin is a hormone secreted by our brains, which shuts down our bodies ready for sleep. To make sure we\u2019re in synch with the natural world around us, Melatonin also has another clever characteristic; Melatonin, aka the Vampire Hormone, is killed off by light. Melatonin makes you tired when it\u2019s dark and is then slowly destroyed by light in the morning, releasing you from its sleepy grasp and waking you up. So, shut those blackout curtains and switch off all the lights when you want your child to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve probably already tried that, but you may also be using a night-light. Ahh, that soothing, blue light; just right to send your little one off to sleep whilst helping them to feel safe and sound, right? Nope. Very wrong. The type of light that melatonin hates most is the one which wakes up at dawn, blue<\/strong> light. The light that melatonin doesn\u2019t mind so much is red light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a night-light helps your child, seek one out which exudes red light (under 100 lux). <\/strong>Manufacturers have been slow to catch on to this science fact, but red night lights do exist; I\u2019ve bought a string of red LED lights for my daughter, which send out a super-cozy light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re still breast-feeding, do it in the dark or with a red light to prevent burning off that melatonin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we stay in constant light, our bodies, including our melatonin, show a natural 24-hourish rhythm. This rhythm isn\u2019t around until 3 months old, so if your child is younger than that, their melatonin levels and natural rhythms will be all over the place. Sorry. It\u2019s not until after around 4-5 months that their rhythms can become more solidly established and they\u2019ll be able to do most of their sleeping at night. You can help encourage your kids into a 24 hour day\/night cycle by having them nap<\/a> in the light. <\/strong>This\u2019ll keep their melatonin levels down during the day and encourage high levels when bedtime comes. The same applies to your kids no matter how old they are. Nap in the light. Sleep in the dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What do screens emit? Blue light. What does melatonin hate? Blue light. No melatonin, no sleep. It\u2019s best to avoid screens<\/a> for 1-2 hours before bed.<\/strong> Screen use during that time can cause delays of an hour or more <\/strong>in falling asleep. Long-term this can cause many mental and physical health issues. Researchers<\/a> have also found that the longer<\/strong> a young person spent looking at an electronic screen before going to bed, the worse quality sleep<\/strong> they were likely to have during the night. If removing screens feels like an impossibility, you can buy orange-ish filters for them which helps to reduce the effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even more surprising are the studies<\/a> revealing that teenagers who spend more than four hours staring at screens <\/strong>(at any time of the day) have a 49% greater risk of taking longer than an hour to fall asleep. <\/strong>They were also 3 and a-half times more likely to sleep for under 5 hours <\/strong>a night. I know it\u2019s tricky, but finding alternatives to screen time and keeping screens out of your child\u2019s bedroom will be seriously worth it in the long-run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking a warm bath can help your kids fall asleep. That\u2019s warm <\/em>not hot. This is important. Our bodies have natural temperature rhythms<\/a>. One of our body\u2019s signals for \u2018sleepy time\u2019 is a drop in body temperature. It happens naturally and sparks an increase in melatonin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking a warm bath one to two hours before sleep<\/a> will artificially raise our body temperature, which will then drop slowly when we get out of the tub into a cooler environment. Noticed those post-bathtime yawns? That\u2019s your body temperature drop signaling to your brain that it\u2019s time to send us to sleep. <\/strong>But, if the bath is too hot, we stay hot and bothered for longer and the technique isn\u2019t as effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t mean tiring them out by getting them to eat until they\u2019re exhausted (although I\u2019ve considered this!). Rice, sweetcorn, cherries<\/a> , grapes<\/a> and oats contain melatonin. If munched in the evening, they can help make us feel sleepy.<\/a> Poultry and nuts contain tryptophan, which is a key ingredient in melatonin production, so get your little one to gnaw on a chicken leg during bed-time stories (ha ha\u2026 maybe earlier?). Milk, too, contains tryptophan\u2026 just forget the sugary cookies!<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME:<\/strong> Go on, run! Get tired! Please!<\/p>\n\n\n\n How many times have I chased my son around trying to wear him out before bed? Research<\/a> suggests that exercise keeps people alert<\/a> for up to 2 hours afterwards. Exercise raises your body temperature and stops that \u201cgo to sleep\u201d signal I mentioned in the \u201cbath\u201d section. It also disrupts your natural cycle of lowered heart rate and blood pressure just prior to sleep and stimulates \u201cawake-making\u201d brain chemicals. At least an hour\u2019s exercise a day will lead to better health and sleep, but try to make sure it doesn\u2019t happen in the last few hours before bed. Chasing your child around to get their magic PJs on doesn\u2019t count!<\/p>\n\n\n\n ME:<\/strong> Let\u2019s try focusing on our breathing.<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n1. Red = Sleepyhead, but Blue = Boo Hoo. Get the right night-light.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n2. Nap in the light\u2026 even if it seems weird.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Yup, those pesky screens again!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n4. Bathe them to sleep.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n5. Feed them to sleep.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Don\u2019t tire them out\u2026 huh?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Tell them a very special story.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nDAUGHTER\/SON:<\/strong> Boring!<\/p>\n\n\n\n