Off The Record
This Chart Shows You When You Should Put Your Kids To Bed
“Early to bed, Early to rise, Makes a man, Healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
How we have despised this nursery rhyme! As kids, our most cherished adventure was to stay up long past the nap time and explore the world (read: drive our parents crazy by screaming and break a few things while we are at it!). While we were teenagers, we never paid any heed when they said “you’ll understand once you become a parent!” and we rolled our eyes.
If you have kids, you probably regret every second of blissful nap you have missed as a child and say “Mum and Dad were right!” way too often. Sweet revenge of Time.
Raising children to be good human beings is no easy job and surely can be strenuous. What constantly boggles my mind is how dependent they are on us, and how our failure to give them time or create a proper schedule for them can hamper their help.
Discipline is a must. Without time management, your kid will become sick and never learn to set goals.
When Do I Put My Child To Bed?
It is hands down one of the most debated question, after of course, their diet. If you put the kids to bed too early, they will become hyper, and deliberately keep their eyes wide open!
If it is too late, they will be grumpy and tired throughout the day. If you are a working parent and wish to spend quality time with your kids, it becomes worse.
Wilson Elementary School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, plays the Messiah who will put an end to these woes. They have come up with a bed-time chart!
The Chart To The Rescue
Wilson Elementary School’s bedtime chart is very well researched and has proved to be effective for the parents who implemented it. The age and time of waking up are discussed in it.
For example, if your 6-year-old has to wake up at say, 6:30 a.m., he needs to be in bed by 7:30 p.m. An 11-year-old who has to wake up at the same time can sleep at 8:45 p.m.
The chart is solely based on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ sleep recommendations for children. While children at the age of 3-5 must get 10-13 hours of sleep every day, kids aged 6-12 are good to go with 9-12 hours of sleep.
You will also like reading: According to Harvard Psychologists Parents Who Raise “Good” Kids Do These 5 Things
The chart has become immensely popular on Facebook with over 448K shares! Sound sleep is important for proper nourishment of each individual.
According to a research by Serene Yoong (Ph.D.) from Hunter New England Population Wallsend in New South Wales, Australia, young children without a consistent sleep schedule are twice likely to experience obesity by age 11 than those with routine bedtimes.
Dr. Jon Quach of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and The University of Melbourne too conducted a study and found that children who sleep early have much better quality of life health wise, and their mothers have improved mental health than kids who sleep late. An Australian Sleep Association Conference, Sleep Down Under 2015, conducted a research that suggests, putting your children to bed prior to 8:30 p.m. can help the entire family be rested and calm. It is the necessary ingredient for a balanced life.
How Important Is It?
If the research data is not evidence enough, you should take it up as an experiment and see the results for yourself. If the child goes to bed early, you get enough time to unwind after a hectic day, have a conversation with your partner, do what you like and hit the bed. Your child too is benefited by the proper sleeping cycle, is more attentive and energetic. It is really a win-win situation for a happy family life!
If you found this research interesting, make sure to SHARE this post with all of your friends on Facebook!
