kids Archives - Page 2 of 2

Does your child need their own mattress?

Posted on July 24, 2018January 24, 2019 by lionel

Whether your child has started out sleeping in their own cot or co-sleeping in your bed, there will come a time when they need their very own ‘big girl’ or ‘big boy’ bed.

Many parents are tempted to buy the cheapest, throw-away mattress available as they predict that their kids will:

Wet their bed
Spill tea/juice/milk on their bed
Jump on their bed
Land up coming through to sleep in their parents’ bed anyway.

These parents are absolutely correct. However, there are a few more things to consider when purchasing your child’s first mattress.

Children grow rapidly

Rapid growth means that children need more and more support the heavier they become. It can also mean growing pains that may be reduced when children have postural support from a high quality mattress.

Sleep is neuro-protective

A good night equals a good day. A good mattress equals good sleep. Sleep enhances your child’s brain development and impacts their ability to learn and cope with everyday life. If you want your child to have the best, deepest sleep possible then you should provide them with the best mattress you can afford.

Others will use your child’s mattress

Playing ‘musical beds’is common when you have one or more young children. In all likelihood, you and your partner will end up sleeping on your child’s mattress from time to time. Not to mention the guests that may end up using your child’s room over the festive season.

A single mattress may not be the one you want

If you are going to fall asleep with your child or put two children to sleep together then a little more space can mean a lot more sleep for everyone. Choosing a ¾ or double mattress may be a bit more costly but it can make the world of difference to your sleep quantity and quality.

Sealy offers a wide range of mattresses to suit your family’s needs. Have a look at www.sealy.co.za to find your Sealy.

Should School Times Start Later?

Posted on June 4, 2018January 24, 2019 by lionel

The Industrial revolution changed not only when we work (earlier start, longer shifts) but also when we are required to wake up.

Human beings are programmed to follow the sun to bed and wake as the sky lightens. However, for most families, industrialization has meant waking long before sunrise to commute to work.

This shift threw our kids sleep under the bus too. Parents had to get to work earlier, so kids had to get to school earlier too. School used to begin around 9am but has started to shift earlier and earlier over the last 100 years.

Waking up earlier has led to many children and their parents not getting the sleep they require. It is a common phenomenon for young children to be woken between 4am and 5am in order for the family to be where they need to be by 7.30am.

In South Africa, this sleep crisis is felt more severely due to:

Our unreliable public transport system
The large distances between where we live and where we work
Our closest, local schools may not provide optimal education for our children
The high rates of unemployment leave many employees fearing that they could lose their job if they ask for a later start time to drop their children off at school

These are real logistical issues, but the question must be asked: Should school start times be set to fit around parents schedules or what the child needs to learn?

Our goal as a society should be to get kids to school ready to learn, not sleep deprived.

What time does your child start school and would you prefer them to start later?

We would love to hear from you.

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The Difference in your Sleep… Discover the new la différence bed by Sealy

Back to school, back to sleep – How to get your kids back into their routine

Posted on January 16, 2018January 24, 2019 by lionel

You may have completed your back to school shopping, but have you gotten your kids back into their routine?

Sleeping well is essential for school performance. Alas, the extra-long school holidays have seen our kids going to bed long after sunset and lying in later than usual.

Children need sleep in order to listen, sit still, concentrate, remember, problem-solve and play nicely. So going to sleep and going to school go hand-in-hand.

The good news is that there is still enough time to get your kids back into routine before school starts.

Follow these 4 steps to make the transition:

Ensure their days are full of physical activity so that they are tired by sunset.
Set an alarm for one hour before your child’s desired bedtime to signal the end of screen time and the start of a bedtime routine.
Re-introduce your family’s bedtime routine within this hour – your child should get through your combination of supper, bathing, brushing their teeth and having their bedtime story within this time.
Set an alarm for the desired wake-up time that you will need on school days – it is important to maintain this even on weekends as brains work best during predictible sleep-wake cycles.

By repeating these steps over the next few days, you are helping to prepare your child’s brain for sleep as well as for school.

Here’s to an easy re-entry into the real world.

Sleep better in your new Sealy!

How to get your kids to sleep better when they’re on Summer holiday

Posted on December 19, 2017January 24, 2019 by lionel

School is out and summer holidays are here! Whether you plan on taking a staycation, or heading off on a family holiday, you may already be dreading the nights that lie ahead of you.

Many adults and children become very anxious when they consider the idea of being ‘out of their sleep routine’ for a few weeks. Most parents’ mental health rests on their young children’s predictable sleep schedule – kids asleep = work day is over.

A recent article in the UK’s telegraph has gathered holiday sleep tips from various experts. Here our own Sealy sleep expert, Roxanne Atkinson, examines their advice and offers her own wise counsel.

Summer holidays are made of dripping ice-creams, squishing sand between your toes and enjoying the warm sun on your back. Well, at least that is how we remember summer holidays from our childhoods.

For parents, summer holidays can bring to the surface an interesting tension-

parents want to make lasting memories with their children; and
parents want a chance to relax and recharge.

The good news is that a change of scenary and lack of tight school and work schedules can offer a chance to bond. The bad news is that if the whole family is struggling to sleep, you are pretty much guaranteed tears and tantrums… and I am not just talking about the parents here!

Follow these five sleep protection principles to give your kids enough Zzzzzz.

Let nature guide their sleep-wake cycle

Encourage your children to rise close to sunrise and sleep close to sunset. Yes, I know you want to sleep in, but this may not be feasible. Get to the beach or hotel pool early and the swimming and sea air should equal an afternoon nap. This is great as it keeps you out of the dangerous midday sun and your children will remain buoyant and bouncy until sunset. No naps? You just won yourself an easy evening. Get dinner sorted early because your kids are bound to fall into bed earlier than usual.

Make their sleep environment comfortable

Summer brings with it high temperatures and plenty of nocturnal insects. Arm yourself with a room fan, mozzie net and/or insect repellant to protect their precious sleep. If you can, request a room with air conditioning and set the room temperature to a temperate 21 degrees celsius.

Recreate their home sleep environment

If you co-sleep at home, co-sleep on holiday. If you use a cot, find a cot for your baby to sleep in that resembles their one at home. If your toddler or child have their own rooms, try and find a way to recreate this. You may need to put up a screen to block them off and recreate their sleep space. Don’t forget to pack your baby monitor (or download a baby monitor app to your smart phone) so that you can rest assured that babe is safe.

Make the most of your evenings away

If you are lucky enough to have a deep sleeper, then you may be able to do some adult evening adventures using your pram or sling. After doing their normal sleep routine, pop them in the pram/sling/car seat and see if you can enjoy a few hours out while your babe is in their first and deepest sleep phase. Could you create a ‘bad habit’? Perhaps, but hopefully the memories last longer.

Use positive sleep associations

Vacation is probably not the best time to try and go without a sleep crutch such as a dummy or favourite stuffed toy. Pack your baby or child’s favourite bear, blankie and bottle… or even better, pack in a spare if you can!

Here’s to great sleep on your family holiday.

Can better sleep mean better grades?

Posted on July 21, 2017 by lionel

Poor sleep can negatively impact your child’s grades, emotions and overall behaviour. This means you might need to introduce an earlier bed time. Or let your child sleep in. Or invest in a new mattress.

While very little research has looked at the link between sleep and intelligence in children. It is clear that sleep deprivation eats our brains (yes, really!) and that sleep is an important contributor to developing long-term memory, but can better sleep mean better grades?

FACT 1: An intelligent child who is sleep-deprived will get poorer grades

It appears that we all inherit 40-50% of our intelligence. We could call this our baseline intelligence. Certain behaviours will help us maintain or develop this intelligence (like eating nutritious food and getting good sleep), whilst other behaviours will erode this intelligence (not eating well or not getting enough sleep).

If your child is not getting enough sleep, it would impact their visual visual intelligence and problem-solving abilities (think maths, science and design). For more read: The Sleep EEG as a marker of intellectual ability in school-age children.

FACT 2: A child with lower intelligence cannot sleep their way to higher intelligence

While sleep allows your brain an opportunity to heal and restore, it does not ‘create’ intelligence. However, having enough energy to fully embrace learning opportunities during the day will enhance your child’s ability to absorb these learnings and sleep will help cement this learning.

Whatever your child’s IQ may be, help them get the sleep that they need to perform well at school by using a bedtime routine.

Remember also that an uncomfortable bed will impact your child’s sleep just as much as it would yours – so think twice before giving your child your old mattress. Investing in a good bed for your child could mean a happier and calmer child. Visit the Sealy website to view our range of beds: www.sealy.co.za

Not sure if your child is getting enough sleep? Click here for a handy infographic from The Better Sleep Council:

How much sleep does my child need?

Article written by Roxanne Atkinson

Why parents are – AND ALWAYS WILL BE – tired

Posted on March 16, 2017 by lionel

Say farewell to sleeping through the night –
‘Tis true. Hungry newborns; scared toddlers, ‘I-wet-my-bed’ pre-schoolers and sneaky teenagers ensure that their parents remain sleep-deprived and tired for decades.
And hello to the sniffles-
Yes, parents have a greater chance of getting sick. Blame crèche, blame developing immune systems, blame sleep deprivation, blame those dirty, little hands, blame far too much nose-picking and bum scratching… but you will still be sick A LOT. And no, you will not get a chance to rest. Soldier on sick parent and care for your sick children.
Say goodbye to switching off-
Parenting is about protecting your children- a mammoth task even in a child-proofed home. Parents are required to be hyper-vigilant and scan the child and environment for potential dangers ALL THE TIME. A lapse in attention could see that sweet, mini-marshmallow become lodged in a nasal passage and a trip to ER three days later. There is no quick cup of tea or care-free walk down the lane. Being attentive to present danger is an exhausting job.
And hello to worrying-
Being aware of present real dangers is not enough… parents must plan for possible (and imaginary) dangers too. Packing for a short walk to the park means D-day prepping- mobile phone, mace spray, wetwipes, plasters, change of clothes, snack, drink, much-loved-toy… Once out the door, parents must worry about strange people, strange dogs, bullying, kidnapping and cancerous sunburn. Even parents who are at work are worrying about the day-to-day stuff, like who is fetching, dropping, making supper as well as the bigger stuff, like have we saved enough, sent them to the right school, raised a good human?
Say goodbye to rest-
Resting is not always a viable option when parenting. Plans to go to bed early, take a nap or have a relaxing weekend away are great, but do not always work out that way. Baby-sitters let you down, kids wake up earlier than expected, you get sick, you get a ‘crying-kids’ phone call and poof! Resting time is over.
And hello to chores-
Parenting is chore-laden. When they are little, there is an exponential increase in wiping, picking up, feeding, dishwashing, packing, unpacking, dressing and undressing. Fast forward a few years and delegating these chores to older children does little to alleviate parental fatigue. Supervising tweens and teens to ensure they do-their-bit and become functioning members of society probably takes more energy than doing it yourself.

So be kind to parents, they really are more tired than you would imagine they should be.

Is your child sleeping on a good quality mattress?

A good quality mattress means good quality sleep, and it could mean all the difference between a well-rested child and possible developmental problems associated with being tired and grumpy. Visit the Sealy website to view our selection of beds and mattresses – it will be a good investment and it will give you peace of mind: www.sealy.co.za

Three gentle ways to deal with kids’ bedtime anxiety

Posted on November 14, 2016 by lionel

A lot of kids don’t like going to sleep. They get scared. They feel worried and they imagine all kinds of scary things. If your child is trying everything to delay bedtime, here are three ways to help them deal with their bedtime anxiety:

Happy thoughts
It is incredible how powerful words are. Help your child battle worries with positive affirmations or prayers. They can ‘throw’ the bad thoughts away and then pick some new prettier/stronger ones. Phrases like ‘I can go to sleep’; ‘my family loves me’ or ‘I am safe now’ can help little hearts and minds settle down.

Fantasy play
Children have the most phenomenal imaginations and what better way to fight these fears than with fantasy itself? Give your child a ‘magic torch light’ or a ‘bottle of ‘Monster spray’ to keep with them… just in case.

Comfort toys/pets
A special blankie, teddy or real-life furry friend can make falling asleep in your own bed much easier. When it comes to dogs, cats and bunnies sleeping in your child’s bed, do what works for your family. Oh, and let your child use these strategies as long as they need to… there is no rush to grow up after all.

Do your kids have a bedtime routine?

Posted on October 24, 2016 by lionel

Encouraging your kids to sleep requires instilling good sleeping habits. Children respond to and need routine, so create a bedtime ritual that will lead to good sleeping habits and ensure that they get the zzz’s they need. Try these tricks to get their bedtime ritual started…

– Set a time for bedtime and stick to it
– Bathtime is a great way to relax your kids and prepare them for sleepy time
– Encourage them to get into their PJ’s and make it fun by letting them pick out their own PJ’s
– Limit TV time before bed and instead read them a feel good bedtime story
– Give them a kiss, tuck them in and say goodnight

Do you have any other bedtime ritual tips and tricks? Comment below and let us in on your secrets.