School begins and with it the difficulties of many parents for their children to regain their sleep routine after summer months with flexibility at bedtime and getting up.
It is advisable to develop relaxing nighttime habits and it is essential to turn off electronic equipment as soon as possible since the blue light emitted by these devices is an inhibitor of melatonin, a hormone that encourages sleep. Outside of mobile phones, tablets, computers ... and minimize watching TV in the moments before going to bed.
As healthy habits you can always resort to the traditional warm bath or shower in the hours before going to bed, in this way it will allow you to enter a state of greater relaxation.
The ritual should be done so that the children go to bed at practically the same time every day.
As always in these cases, there are studies that support these statements and, a study by University College London in which more than 11,000 children of 3, 5 and 7 years participated, revealed that those who sleep at different times obtain lower scores in tests reading, math and spatial skills.
The research, published in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, points out the need to establish a regular sleep schedule for children, as it enhances their cognitive development and can have positive effects on their health for the rest of their lives.
In the case of adolescents, it is known that sleep cycles change from infancy to preadolescence as a consequence of a delay in the secretion of melatonin that occurs at this stage. Bedtime is delayed in adolescence, and that causes that in the morning you are without energy and sleepy because you have not had enough rest that is recommended at these ages, around 9 hours.
It is therefore recommended to establish balanced sleep patterns, without great variations between school days and weekends, avoid stimulating drinks, not use the bed for other activities such as watching television and having a well-ventilated bedroom, with adequate temperature, no noise or light.
Of course, choosing a good mattress for your children is a key factor to ensure a good rest and that the next day they are fresh and ready to face the day.