Putting The Kids To Sleep Early Will Improve Mental Health…Of The Mom

According to a new research, kids who go to bed early in the evening are not prone to sickness and more likely to be active and in good shape compared to those who sleep at late nights. It also promotes a better mental health for moms.

“So mums and dads, getting kids early to bed is not just great for them, it’s good for you too.” said Jon Quach, lead author and research fellow at the Mudroch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, in a written statement.

“Early to bed” time is around 8:30pm according to Quach and his colleagues.

The normal time for kids to be asleep is at 8:00 in the evening according to Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a Seattle pediatrician who writes Seattle Mama Doc blog. It is where the hormone level called melatonin that aids the brain to be relaxed and sleepy shoots up  during that time.

“We know that sleep is a really relevant part of our mental health, our mood. We know in kids, it’s related to behavioral [issues] and the ability to self-control,” Swanson told TODAY Parents.

“When we think about mom, it makes a lot of sense to me that if kids are early to bed, mom is going to wind down, get things done and feel like things are under control.”

The research was made possible through the results that are taken based on the interview of “Growing Up in Australia” parents and children where tracking of thousands of families from Australia began in 2004 and goes back to them every two years. Researchers then found out that children who go to sleep as early as 8:30pm, had acquired a “better health-related quality of life” than those kids who tend to sleep at late nights. Moreover, their mothers also acquired an improved mental health and well-being.

“Without question, people struggle with bedtime,” she said. “That might be the result of having a child overscheduled. … The other thing we know is we’re starting to see the creep of digital devices into the bedtime routine and into the bedroom itself.”

“There is no question that consistency and prioritization of sleep is going to make your life better,” Swanson said.

Source: Today