Physically Active School Age Kids Sleep Better At Night

Monday, June 13th, 2011 at 1:20 PM

Physically active kids tend to be better sleepers. When New Zealand researchers monitored 7-year-olds to measure activity during the day and sleep at night, they found that for each hour of inactivity, kids took three minutes longer to fall asleep. Physical activities and exercise produces brain chemicals that promote sleep and relaxation.

Playing on the computer just before bed can also cause trouble, partly because the screen’s glow can disturb natural sleep/wake cycles. You have a big cause to worry about your kid if you spot that your child spends the first half of the day sitting at school, the second half in front of the TV or computer. Such types of life styles among children and school age kids would certainly lead to various sleep related problems.

You need to add more physical activity to his day. If he’s not involved in any sports, consider trying one out, or simply limit screen time and send him outside. But at the same time you should also ensure that the physical activities including sports and excercises should end several hours before bedtime so he has time to unwind. If the timing of a sporting event prevents this, just limit activity once the game’s over.

Sleep specialists also recommend an electronics blackout 30 to 45 minutes before bed.This helps school age kids to sleep better throughout the night.The electronic blackout helps secretion of the Melatonin hormone that make the kids feel sleepy and ensures better sleep at night.