The Importance of Sleep for Children

Any parent knows that plenty of sleep is essential for their child, but the specifics of how much and why can often vary.

Why is Sleep Important for Children?

Getting a good amount of sleep helps your child in their mental, physical, social, and emotional development. It is an essential part of growing up and learning, in much the same way as school or play.

How Many Hours Sleep do Children Need?

Unfortunately, there is no magic number to ensure your child rests well every night, and the needs of each child can vary. However, Great Ormond Street Hospital has provided a guide on how much sleep children in specific age categories should get per day, including naps:

• 4 – 12 Months: 12 – 16 hours
• 1 – 2 Years: 11 – 14 hours
• 3 – 5 Years: 10 – 13 hours
• 6 – 12 Years: 9 – 12 hours

How Bedtime Affects Children Learning

The amount of sleep your child gets can directly affect their learning, as sleep can help stimulate the analysis, understanding, and memorisation of new information.

Being well rested also helps improve their concentration, mood, and behaviour, which will help them learn from their experiences throughout the day, at home or at school.

Five Tips for Better Sleeping Patterns in Your Children

Every child has different needs when it comes to sleeping, and the tactics that work for one child may not be as effective for another. Try some of the following and see what works for you!

1. Time Without Screens – Also a common recommendation for adults, putting phones, tablets, and TV’s off and away a little while before bed can help reduce brain stimulation before it’s time to sleep.

2. Give Them a Bath – Running a bath to help them get ready for bed signals to your child that it’s time to wind down, and the warmth will often have a soothing effect on their emotions.

3. Start Building a Routine – Whether it’s brushing their teeth, getting changed into pyjamas, or running the bath, getting a child into the routine of falling asleep in the same place every day will support their sense of security.

4. Read Age-Appropriate Books – Reading before bed is an excellent tool to stimulate sleep and can also start winding down your child’s emotions and excitement. Relaxing bedtimes stories for children can be found anywhere, so try to find some that relate to your child’s interests.

5. Create a Meditative Atmosphere – There are lots of ways to employ children’s meditation for sleep, such as dimming the lights, playing quiet and relaxing music or white noise, and gently talking to them about soothing subjects. Also consider the colours of a child’s bedroom to ensure that they aren’t over stimulating.

6. Use neutral colours in bedrooms that aren’t over-stimulating; creams and pastel shades are helpful If possible use the same sleeping environment for the child. Getting into the routine of falling asleep in the same place each day will help them to feel more secure Always follow safe sleep practices. Details of the latest information and research is available from the Lullaby Trust

Example Bedtime Routines for 3-Year-Olds

Setting up a strict routine helps your child prepare for bed naturally every single night. By turning off their screens or running a bath at the same time, your child will know what to expect and start unconsciously calming down and preparing for sleep.

Let’s use a three-year old as an example. The recommended bedtime for a 3-year-old is about 19:30, so you may want to start running a bath at about 16:30. This will let them know bedtime is approaching and give them time to start winding down.

When the bath is ready, turn off their screens for the night, dim the lights, and consider playing some gentle music to help them relax. Once out of the bath, get them dressed into their pyjamas and make sure they brush their teeth.

Now they’re ready to be tucked into bed, consider reading them a children’s story appropriate and relevant to them, before letting them rest independently.

Get in Touch for More Information

We’re no strangers to effective childcare and parenting tips. We are a leading nursery chain operating in the Southwest of England and South of Wales, helping young children prepare for school with purpose-built facilities and a specialist curriculum of learning.

We like to support the development of the children in our care both when they’re at nursery, and when they’re at home.

Get in touch if you have any questions by calling 0800 783 3431 or emailing enquiries@happydaysnurseries.com, or use our Find a Nursery tool to see which of our nurseries or preschools is closest to you!

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools is now a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with health conditions.

Disability Confident is creating a movement of change, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, Happy Days have pledged to ensure that their recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. This means that Happy Days actively communicate and promote vacancies in a manner that reaches all potential candidates, regardless of their background or ability. Additionally, Happy Days guarantee an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job, recognising their valuable contribution to the workforce.

Furthermore, Happy Days are dedicated to anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required to support both current and future employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions, demonstrating their commitment to fostering a supportive environment where all colleagues can thrive and contribute to their full potential. Creating a workforce where all colleagues can SHINE.

Fiona Blackwell, Operations Director stated, “This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued for their unique strengths and talents. Obtaining this accreditation serves as a testament to our values as an employer and underscores our belief in the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We firmly believe that by embracing diversity, we not only enrich our company culture but also enhance our business performance.”

Happy Days are excited to continue their journey towards achieving even higher levels of accreditation, and are currently working towards obtaining the Level 1 accreditation.

Happy Days attainment of the Disability Confident Committed accreditation marks an important milestone in their journey towards becoming a more inclusive and supportive employer and they are dedicated to building on this achievement, remaining steadfast in their commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the organisation.

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools are calling all of Droitwich to join in on the Bank Holiday fun!

The Adventurers of Happy Days Droitwich have spent the day creating Happy Days pebbles for their half term challenge.

There’s been 20 numbered stones hidden around Droitwich Lido park. Can you find all 20? If you find a stone, please take a selfie with it and tag us. We’d love to see who’s found them! Afterwards either put it back in place or re-hide it somewhere for the next child.

Harry our holiday bear is currently sunning himself up in Ibiza and following all our Sun Safe guidelines!

We introduced our holiday bear to Happy Days Exeter last month to help the children with learning about sun safe and oral health (in his suitcase he has a diary, his toothbrush, sunhat, sunglasses, and his very own passport). We had a suggestion box for names and once we had a good selection of names we had a poll vote for the final name on our Parent’s Facebook page; and ‘Harry the holiday bear’ was the winner!

The children are so excited to take him away on holidays or home with them over the weekend. He is a great way for children to learn about different countries and cultures and helps to teach the children about being responsible.

Harry has his holiday diary where families can add pictures and diary entries about what he gets up to on his holidays. He is a very well-travelled bear, and we are all a bit jealous of him!

Exciting News from Happy Days Verwood

We’re thrilled to be gearing up for our grand opening on August 5th, and while we wait to officially open our doors, we’ve been busy creating a warm and welcoming space for your children! Here’s a peek at what’s been happening at the nursery:

Free Activities for All!

Want to get a feel for our nursery and meet the team? We’re hosting a variety of fun activities throughout May, June and July, completely free of charge! It’s a great opportunity for you and your child to explore our nursery, participate in engaging activities, and get a taste of the nurturing environment we offer.

Meet the Team & Tour the Nursery

We’re passionate about providing exceptional care for your child. We’re happy to offer both walk-in tours and booked show rounds, allowing you to explore our facilities, ask any questions you may have, and meet the dedicated team who will be nurturing your little one. We’re here every day to answer your questions and address any concerns! If you would like to book a tour, please click here.

Stay Connected!

We’re excited to welcome you and your child to our nursery family soon! Keep an eye out for further updates and announcements about our grand opening.

In the meantime, feel free to:

• Reach out with any questions you may have.
• Follow us on social media for the latest news and updates .

We look forward to meeting you soon!