Holy Family Catholic Parish Primary School Ingleburn eNewsletter

Parenting in Primary School (3)

Sleep and Primary School Children

Why sleep is important for children aged 5-11 years

When your child sleeps well, your child will be more settled, happy and ready for school the next day. Good-quality sleep helps your child concentrate, remember things, regulate emotions and behave well. This all helps your child learn well.

Getting enough sleep also strengthens your child’s immune system and reduces the risk of infection and illness.

Sleep: what children need

At 5-11 years, children need 9-11 hours sleep a night. For example, if your child wakes for school at 7 am and needs approximately 10 hours sleep per night, your child should be in bed before 9 pm.

Some children fall deeply asleep very quickly when they go to bed. Others sleep lightly, fidgeting and muttering for up to 20 minutes, before getting into deep sleep.

Children have different kinds of sleep during the night. The first few hours of sleep are usually the deepest. Most dreams happen in the second half of the night.

How to help children sleep well

A good night’s sleep is about getting to sleep, staying asleep and getting enough good-quality sleep. Here are some ideas that can help your child get the sleep they need.

Bedtime routine
A bedtime routine is very important at this age. It helps your child wind down from the day.

For example, a child who normally goes to bed at 7.30 might have a bedtime routine that looks like this:

6.45 pm: put on pyjamas, brush teeth, go to the toilet.
7.15 pm: quiet time in the bedroom with a book and a bedtime story or quiet chat.
7.30 pm: goodnight and lights out.

Relaxing before bed
After a big day at school, your child might still be thinking about the day’s events and worries. If your child’s mind is still busy at bedtime, it can cause a restless night or bad dreams.

You can help your child settle and relax for sleep by keeping activities quiet in the hour before bed. For example, you could play gentle music or read a story together. Making a bath part of your child’s bedtime routine can also help with relaxation.

Relaxing before bed also helps with better sleep for pre-teens and teenagers.

Good sleep habits
Your child might sleep better at night if they:

keep regular sleep and wake times, even on the weekend
turn computers, tablets and TV off an hour before bedtime
have a quiet and dimly lit place to sleep
get plenty of natural light during the day, especially in the morning
avoid caffeine in tea, coffee, sports drinks and chocolate, especially in the late afternoon and evening.

To receive free individual support regarding your child and sleep please contact Parentline NSW at 1300130052 (9-9 pm weekdays, 4-9 pm weekends).

References

El‐Sheikh, M., & Kelly, R.J. (2017). Family functioning and children’s sleep. Child Development Perspectives, 11(4), 264-269. doi: 10.1111/cdep.12243.

Jenni, O.G., & O’Connor, B.B. (2005). Children’s sleep: An interplay between culture and biology. Pediatrics, 115 (Supplement 1), 204-216. doi: 10.1542/peds.2004-0815B.

Matricciani, L., Paquet, C., Galland, B., Short, M., & Olds, T. (2019). Children’s sleep and health: A meta-review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 46, 136-150. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2019.04.011.

For phone assistance around your child and sleep please feel free to ring Parentline NSW at 1300130052.

Catholiccare courses that could be of benefit:

For children who may struggle with sleep due to anxiety

No Scaredy Cats Term 1

Thursday, 11 March 2021 10:00 AM

For Parents / Carers of children with anxiety

Parents and Carers are invited to share their experience of parenting children with anxiety. A supportive and safe learning environment is provided to help guide parents and carers to understand more about their child's needs and how they can support and encourage their children to nurture their anxiety.

Sessions: 3 x 2.5 hours weekly

Cost: $45

Thursday 11, 18, 25 Mar 10:00am-12:30pm

To enquire about enrolling in this course please email intakeservices@catholiccare.dow.org.au with your name, email address and phone number along with the course you wish to attend.

Campbelltown

Campbelltown

35a Cordeaux Street, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia

For children who may be challenging at bedtime.

123 Magic and Emotion Coaching Term 2

Thursday, 03 June 2021 5:30 PM

For Parents/Carers of children aged 2-12 years

Parenting can test your patience especially if you find yourself frequently raising your voice to deal with challenging behaviour. It doesn't have to be this way though, learn easy and effective strategies to deal with difficult behaviours without having to raise your voice. Find out more by enrolling in our upcoming group '123 Magic and Emotion Coaching'.