Does your child’s sleeping space promote sleep? Whether your child shares a room or sleeps alone, there are steps you can take to support good sleeping habits. Take the sleep zone quiz to discover ways to make a good night’s sleep even better!
Read each statement, then decide (yes or no) if it describes your child’s sleeping environment:
There are no TVs or computer screens in the room. Good for you! With the TV and computer in another room, kids are less likely to stay up late staring at screens.
We turn off all screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Yeah! You prioritize your sleep! Any screen activity—video games, computers, or cell phones—before bed can rev you up and make it hard to fall asleep.
The room is dark. Your body naturally senses light and wakes up. So the darker you can make the sleeping area, the better the sleep. Of course, if your child prefers to have some light, like a nightlight, that's okay. Just make sure the light is not too bright.
The room is a comfy temperature for sleep. Being too hot or cold can keep your child from sleeping. Cold feet make it particularly hard to fall asleep. Got cold feet? Sleep with socks on. Too hot? Try putting a fan in the room.
You save wild colors—like neon pink or fluorescent green—for clothes and accessories, not walls or curtains. Maybe your child’s favorite colors are bold and bright. But for good sleep, stick with wall and curtain colors that are calming like soft grey, cool white, pale beige, calm blue, or any soft tone in a color that they like.
The room is tidy and clean. Believe it or not, clutter and dirt can interrupt sleep. Go ahead and pile stuffed animals on the bed during the day, but at night, make space to stretch out and snooze. Make picking up dirty clothes and putting the toys away part of a bedtime routine. Not only will you sleep better, but you don’t have to worry about tripping over things!
How many statements did you answer “yes” to? Check your total score to learn more about what you can do to create sleep zones in your home:
5 to 6 = Congratulations! Your child(ren) snooze the night away in a sleep zone!
3 to 4 = The sleeping area is very close to being a sleep zone. Reread the quiz and decide what you can do to improve the space.
0 to 2 = You and your child(ren) may be too tired to make a lot of changes all at once. Try to accomplish one at a time. The more of these suggestions you can try, the closer you are to sleeping perfection!
To learn more about getting a good night’s sleep you might like:
Bedtime Relaxation for Kids
Making Unplugging Easy
Top 10 Children’s Books to Encourage Healthy Bedtime Habits