Children need a lot of sleep. And although like adults, all children are different and there are no fixed rules; your child gets enough good quality sleep to refresh them for the day ahead and their physical and psychological development.
Children do most of their growing while they are asleep so they must have the right mattress to support this. Memory foam mattresses for kids are ideal because they are so comfortable and even the most fractious toddler or troublesome pre-teen will feel instantly soothed once they get into bed.
In terms of time, sleep is especially important for school-age children. Sleep deprivation hinders learning because children struggle to focus and concentrate when they are tired, and a lack of sleep can lead to behavioral and developmental issues.
According to teachers, many parents don’t realize when a child is sleep-deprived, yet in many cases, it is the sleep-deprived children who are the most unruly and badly behaved in the classroom.
How Much Sleep Does My Child Need?
The National Sleep Foundation has carried out extensive research into sleep patterns and has formulated the following guidelines for total sleep needs by age. Because we are all different you can adjust this formula by an hour each way if your child needs slightly more or slightly less sleep.
- Babies up to a year old generally require 14 -15 hours of sleep per day, obtained at night and also with daytime napping.
- 1 – 3-year-olds need between 12 -14 hours of sleep, again napping is important with this age group
- 3-6-year-olds need 10 – 12 hours of sleep per day.
- 6 – 13-year-olds should sleep between 9 – 12 hours a day.
- 13 – 18-year-olds should aim at around 9 hours of sleep a day.
For younger children especially, it is extremely important to establish a good bedtime routine that calms your child down before sleep. Many parents find that creating a regular ritual helps this, such as PJs on, wash and brush teeth, a cuddle, reading a story, lights out. If the pattern is kept to the same formula each night, it will help your child relax and sleep.
For older children, the use of electronic devices and watching TV in their room should be limited before bedtime or it will ruin sleep patterns. And although teenagers are known for staying in bed over the weekends, professionals advise that doing this disrupts usual sleep patterns so it should be discouraged.
If you have issues to put your baby or small child to sleep on time, research about different sleep training methods.
The Ferber sleep training method is when you put your baby to sleep awake and then periodically go to check on them after a predetermined amount of time. When you check- in the child you can touch its head or hand. It will make it calmer. With the time the check-ins should be at the bigger intervals of time.
The idea of the Ferber method is to have your baby learn to calm alone and to fall asleep alone.
Mattresses For Kids Are Important
As well as considering the bedtime routine and avoiding too much stimulation in the evening, the mattress you choose is extremely important. Memory foam mattresses for kids are ideal because you can buy the right size for your child so they can sleep in optimum comfort.
Some children find it hard to go to sleep. So if the bed is uncomfortable or there are any other distractions such as too much noise or added stimulation such as noisy TVs, devices, or siblings, it will keep them awake.
If your child is sleeping in a shared room, a bunk bed mattress or trundle bed mattress is very important. You should never allow a child under 6 to sleep in a top bunk but otherwise, bunk beds are perfectly comfortable as long as the mattress provides the correct support.
Memory foam mattresses for kids are ideal for these purposes as there is a wide variety of sizes that can suit all types of beds in terms of width and length.
Memory Foam Mattresses Are Easy To Keep Clean
Because memory foam mattresses are so easy to keep clean, if there is an overnight accident such as your child wets the bed or spills a drink you can deal with it fast. The design of mattresses for kids enables hassle-free cleaning. If liquid has soaked through the protector into a memory foam mattress for kids, it can be simply wiped dry without leaving any stains.
And because memory foam mattresses for kids are so lightweight and easy to move, changing the bed linen and the protector is far easier than doing the same on a conventional sprung mattress. This not only helps your child go back to sleep but also minimizes your disruption too. Nobody wants to deal with a soaked mattress at 2 am, so memory foam mattresses for kids are great for parents too.
We all need regular sleep
We all need regular sleep. Making sure that your child is not missing out on sleep can be a difficult task but choosing the right mattress will help. Memory foam mattresses for kids are an easy way of ensuring that your child gets a good night’s sleep so whatever other distractions are going on in your home, at least you know that once your little darling gets to bed, he or she will wake up fully refreshed the next morning.