For young, daycare age children, good sleep is extremely important for development and growth. In order to improve sleep, you need to ensure that your child’s bedroom is a place of comfort and serenity. Below we will highlight some of the areas that you can take a look at to make sure that your child’s bedroom is sleep friendly:
1. Color
It is believed that certain colors stir up different emotions. Therefore, the colors, which are perfect for a child’s bedroom, are:
– Yellow
Yellow is a color that’s linked to happiness and motivation. Pale yellow helps with concentration as opposed to a bright yellow, which creates frustration. You could look to add touches of yellow to a room with yellow artwork and accessories if a yellow room seems too much.
– Blue
Blue is seen as a calm color, which helps to reduce any feelings related to anxiety or anger. It is also a color which helps to lower blood pressure and the heart rate. If your child is particularly stressed at bedtime or has any behavioural problems, blue is probably the ideal color.
– Pink
Light pink is also a calming color which can help to get a child to sleep. That said, we would not recommend that you paint a whole room in pale pink as children quickly grow out of this color.
– Green
Green is a color that’s linked to health, as well as to tranquillity, and it is believed it helps to improve concentration and child’s reading ability. Green can also help young children to wake up feeling revitalised.
2. Darkness
Children tend to sleep better when it is dark so, therefore, try and reduce the light that comes into your child’s room, particularly in the summer months. Use blackout blinds or curtains to block any light from outside. If you have a child who scared of sleeping in the dark, it is worth investing in a nightlight. Remember to choose a nightlight that works using a red bulb as opposed to a blue light, which affects the body clock. Avoid using tablets or televisions before bedtime as these also affect the body clock and leave the body feeling awake. It is best to read books to your child before bedtime as part of their routine.
3. Temperature
The temperature in a child’s room can affect sleep quality. The temperature in a bedroom needs to be between 65 and 70°F, as a room that is too warm or cold can cause restlessness and can also cause children to wake early in the morning.
4. Declutter
A child’s bedroom needs to be a calm and inviting environment and not a place that is full of chaos. Make sure that you have enough storage to keep your child’s bedroom tidy. Use tubs and drawers, which your child can access and create labels for them so that your child can get involved in keeping their bedroom neat and tidy. As part of playtime, ensure that you have a routine in place so that your child knows when it is time to tidy up. Remember that your child will be used to tidying up at preschool/day-care
