As youngsters gear up to head back to school this week, parents across the nation face the challenge of reinstating bedtimes after the summer holiday's carefree schedule.
The break often means that children's regular sleep patterns are disrupted without the pressure of rigid waking times. However, with classes set to resume, many families might be struggling to readjust their little ones' routines. In an ideal world, parents would have gradually shifted their child's bedtime to its usual slot well in advance.
Attempting it all in one go the night before can be a bit of a nightmare. But fear not, for those who haven't, hope is not lost - there are still tricks to nudge kids back into their typical sleeping patterns. Sleep guru Martin Seeley from MattressNextDay has dished out his prime tips for re-establishing a child's sleep cycle and one includes treating them to a savoury snack.
The expert suggests that eating oat biscuits might just be the ticket to helping young ones drift off quicker. He claims: "What your child eats close to bedtime can also contribute to whether they have a good or bad night's sleep. Foods such as oat biscuits, bananas and milk contain an amino acid called tryptophan. This makes them feel drowsy and, therefore, more likely to fall asleep."
It's believed that foods rich in tryptophan can encourage sleepiness, so serving them up about an hour before bed is recommended for maximum absorption. Sleep guru Martin has some firm advice for parents when it comes to the bedtime battles, saying: "It's tricky, but try to be firm and let them know that once they are in bed, they must stay in bed.
"If they do get out of bed, don't react, but simply walk them back to bed without saying anything. This further supports the rule that once you're in bed, you're in bed until the morning." He also urges parents to banish electronic devices from their children's hands at least two hours before sleep time.
Martin added: "This one can be very difficult, especially if giving your child their device is something you do regularly to keep them occupied. However, the blue light emitted on tablets and phones can trick their mind into thinking that it's daytime, despite it being dark outside.
"If it's not possible to remove them two hours before bedtime, try gradually increasing the time spent without the device in line with moving bedtime earlier."
