At the end of a hard day getting the kids to bed and off to sleep can sometimes be a tad trying, to say the least.
But help is at hand after a Manchester University psychologist has scientifically defined for the first time what constitutes a good bedtime routine for children aged between the ages of two and eight – and come up with seven recommendations for the hour before bedtime.
The best way to help your kids get to sleep, it turns out, is to make sure their teeth get a good clean every night, which mentally prepares them for bed, makes them feel better and helps avoid potentially irritating tooth decay, the research finds.
The scrubbing should last for two minutes using a flouridated toothpaste and, for children under seven, should be done by the parent.
Regular bedtimes are the next best way to get the tots to sleep followed by a story, with calming activities such as a chat and a bath helping as well, according to George Kitsaras, of Manchester University.
Meanwhile, food, drink and electronic devices such as TVs, phones and tablets should be avoided as bedtime approaches.
“All activities around bedtime matter for children’s development and wellbeing but toothbrushing is the most important to remember each night. There are strong links between inadequate oral hygiene practices and dental decay in children,” he said.
Dr Kitsaras says a good bedtime routine is more important than many people may think, making a huge difference to how well children sleep and their quality of life more generally.
“Bedtime routines are important family activities and have important implications on children’s wellbeing, development and health,” he said.
“Organisations as diverse as the Book Trust to the BBC and the NHS are all engaged in this debate- but up to now, there has been no real scientific consensus to inform them.”
“For the first time, our study provides that expert and scientific guidance. Our definition considers the parental stresses and difficulties that might arise at bedtime while incorporating best practice and available scientific advice,” he said.
The research is published in the journal PLOS ONE and involved 59 experts from around the UK.
How to tell if you’re doing enough to get your children to sleep
Each recommendation has been given a number of points, as follows:
Brushing teeth before bed: 25 points
Consistent bedtime: 21
Reading/having a story read: 20
Avoiding food/drinks before bed: 18
Avoiding electronic devices: 18
Interactive activities with child (eg. conversation, playing, cuddling, singing): 15
Bath/shower: 3
A score of 50 points or more amounts to an effective bedtime regime.
To determine your score go through each recommendation, one at a time.
1. Take the number of points available and multiply it by 1.0 if it’s achieved 6-7 nights, by 0.7 if achieved 4-5 nights, 0.5 if achieved 2-3 nights, 0.3 if achieved 1-2 nights and 0.1 if not achieved
2. Add the scores for each recommendation together and that will give your total.
