Will Richter
In my house, the call to bedtime also signals the arrival of My Son the Lawyer, an expert negotiator able to extract every scrap of available read-aloud time—that is, when he isn’t tossing all of his bedding onto the floor. Although charming (sometimes), this keeps him up later than is good for him. Sound familiar?
If you have kids, you’ve probably experienced similar frustrations, and maybe worse. Tears, tantrums, playing with toys after lights out … bedtime can turn even the most peaceful home into a battleground. This isn’t just frustrating for you. If it interferes with how much sleep your kids get, it could have serious health consequences. Even reducing sleep by one hour per night can affect your child’s cognition and ability to pay attention. Inadequate sleep in children has also been linked to diabetes, hypertension and obesity. It can lead to emotional disturbances and behavioral problems similar to those seen in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To top it off, insufficient shut-eye can also impair a child’s learning and academic performance. On top of all that, by the time you get the kiddos to bed, you may be so exhausted by your courtroom-caliber negotiations that you struggle to fall asleep. So what do you do if you can’t get your kids—or yourself—to sleep?
Stephanie MacDonald
Heidi Fritz, MA, ND
Carime Lane
Joshua Duvauchelle