Screams come from your child’s room down the hall. You throw yourself out of bed and rush to his side. He’s had another bad dream. His nightmares are happening more often. But why? All he did before bed was watch his favorite cartoon show … and it wasn’t scary at all. Or was it?
No TV Before Bed!
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that parents allow children to only watch nature or educational programs throughout the day. It’s also recommend that you restrict them from any other TV programs that may contain frightening images … even cartoons … as something that may seem simple and innocent may actually have one tiny image that could frighten children. The AAP also strongly suggests that children don’t watch any TV right before bedtime.
Get Your Routine Back in Order
Speaking of sleep. With the holidays and kids being out of school, your bedtime routine is surely to be in shambles. Start now at getting them back into the school bedtime routine before the battle surges and you fail miserably at trying to get them to bed on time when school starts back. The National Sleep Foundation offers these tips to help you do just that:
- Be Realistic With Your Plans.
- Find Consistency Where You Can.
- Make Time To Chill.
- Reverse the Damage.
You want to give your child a happy routine to fall asleep with. Try picking up a good, age-appropriate book and snuggle with your child before bed. This calming effect could follow through the night and result in your child’s good night sleep.
