Children need at least 9-10 hours of sleep on average. They will occasionally take naps if they feel extra tired. Sometimes children wish to push their bedtime back to a later time. It is important that they recognize the importance of sleep. About one third of children experience chronic sleep problems, but only about 5% have serious disorders needing treatement. (1)
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Bedtime Routines[an error occurred while processing this directive]It is good for children to establish their own bedtime routine or ritual. This may include things such as having a glass of water, going to the bathroom, and brushing teeth. Many children will choose a passive activity to do right before bedtime to "wind down."
Many children have a bedtime story or two read to them before going to bed.
This is a good ritual that can also improve a child's reading skills. Some common
bedtime stories for children are:
Where the Wild Things Are / Donde Viven Los Monstruos (by Maurice Sendak)
Ira Sleeps Over / Quique Duerme Fuera De Casa (by Bernard Waber)
You
can share with us the names of your favorite bedtime stories in our growing
list of bedtime rituals and customs.
Create
your own personalized bedtime story to share with your child! Reading
this aloud can help your child practice his or her reading skills too.
Peru - There is a known TV show that many children watch before going to bed, is called "Karina y Timoteo". In this show we see Timoteo, which is a jolly man dressed up in a costume, and a woman animator, Karina. They stress for children to go to bed at 8 pm, so everyday at this time, when the show has ended, they have a short add which basically tells kids to go to bed soon. There aren't really any songs children sing before going to bed. For religious families, which account for a great deal in Peru, it is very common to say a prayer, "El padre nuestro" before going to bed. Sometimes, parents will also read a book in bed to their child as they fall asleep. This is not as common once a child is older than about nine years.
(1) Beaubien, Greg. "Little Sleepers." Chicago Sun-Times, Jan. 21, 1996. p. 54
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