Plentiful, high-quality sleep is one of the most important factors for a child's healthy growth and development. But for many kids – and their parents – sleep can be a struggle. While there are a host of factors that may inhibit your child's sleep hygiene, there's one that most parents fail to consider: your child's circadian rhythm. At 5 Little Monkeys, our mission is to help kids and families everywhere experience the power of healthy, restful sleep, so here are our tips on utilizing the circadian rhythm to help your toddler get better sleep.
Your Child's Circadian Rhythm and Sleep
But before we dive in, let's clear one thing up: what on Earth is a circadian rhythm?
The circadian rhythm is the internal biological "clock" that the human body uses to regulate sleep. It's a daily cycle of hormones, metabolic processes, and other body functions that make us feel awake during the day and sleepy at night. Everyone has a circadian rhythm. Even your toddler.
Crucially, every person's circadian rhythm is different. The reason some people are "night owls" while others are "morning larks" is that they have different circadian rhythms. And if your toddler is having sleep problems, it may be because your sleep routine is out of sync with their circadian rhythm.
Thankfully, though, circadian rhythms can be changed – but not all at once. For example, if your child is falling asleep 2 hours later than their bedtime, start by changing bedtime to match their circadian rhythm. Then, move bedtime up by 15 minutes each day until you reach your desired time.
You can help this change by making sure they're exposed to plenty of bright sunlight in the morning, as this helps communicate when it's time to wake up to the body. Avoid electronics for at least 90 minutes to two hours before bed, as these emit high-frequency blue light that interferes with natural sleep processes. And finally, remember that circadian rhythm is cyclic – so it should be consistent. While it's tempting to let your little one stay up later on weekends, this can interfere with their circadian rhythm and cause problems during the week.
Order Our Children's Sleep System Today
We hope these tips help you adjust your toddler's circadian rhythm to better match up with your daily routine, but remember that just as important as circadian rhythm is the mattress they're sleeping on. At 5 Little Monkeys, we've spent years developing a custom children's mattress that gives growing bodies what they need for truly restful sleep, helping support healthyrowth and development at every age. Give your child the gift of a better night's sleep with a 100-night rest test with the best kids mattress.