SLEEP and KIDS!!!

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Parents are notoriously troubled sleepers. But when kids sleep better, so do mums and dads. Have little kids sleep alone. Lying down with younger kids as they fall asleep is fine, until they wake up in the middle of the night. Try the sleeping bag trick. Have your child go to sleep in it on the floor near you, the night after night, gradually move the bag away from your bed, out the door and down the hall to his own room. It can take a while, says Jodi A. Mindell,PhD, of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, but eventually he'll gain confidence to sleep independently. Get teens to bed earlier. Yeah, we know it's a challenge. Still, it's worth the push, as 28 percent of teens report they fall asleep in school, and studies have found that teens who don't get enough sleep are at an increased risk of depression, rage, use of stimulants and alcohol, low grades and car accidents. Establish a bedtime routine. Kids should always do three or four calming activities before bed, says Mindell, and they should be exactly the same activities every night. Bath, reading, prayer, whatever - daily repetition cues your child's body for sleep. And a routine is just as important for a 15 year old as it is for a toddler.