All / Children Sleep Habits / The 5 “C’s” of a Happy Bedtime: Cut Up

The 5 “C’s” of a Happy Bedtime: Cut Up

child climbing a wall

What makes bedtime a good time for you and your kids? In my current blog series I’m covering my own personal “5 C’s” for a happy, self-contained bedtime routine that works. Today I want to have a closer look at #2: Cut Up!

Exercise, Sleep, and Kids

A New Zealand study reported on NursingTimes.net found that kids who exercise less during the day take longer to fall asleep at bedtime. Children who fell asleep faster also slept longer. The findings support the day-to-day experience of hundreds of thousands of parents – get them to move while there’s daylight, then get them ready for bed before they’re overtired, and they’ll sleep soundly. So cut up, goof off, and otherwise find excuses to cavort during the day. The more they move, the better they’ll sleep.

What’s Exercise?

A child doesn’t need to go on a mile run or play an entire soccer match to have gotten exercise. Just get moving. Walk to the mailbox. Take the bikes for a spin. Play tag. Tickle her. Help her stand on her head or pretend to be a ballerina – or tie a towel around her shoulders and let her run around in circles as the newest caped superhero.

Kids like to move. Just help them find creative outlets for that energy, and keep it fun. Encourage the habit young, and you’ll set your little ones up for a lifetime of healthy movement and peaceful sleep.

Do you exercise with your kids? Or encourage them to exercise? Do you think it helps them sleep?

Author Bio: +Michelle Gordon is a sleep expert who researches and writes about sleep and health, and is an online publisher for the latex mattress specialist Latexmattress.org.

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy