Tag Archives: children

Things That Go Bump In The Night

It’s late and we are sleepy,
The air is cold and still.
Our jack-o-lantern grins at us
Upon the window sill.
We’re stuffed with cake and candy
And we’ve had a lot of fun,
But now it’s time to go to bed
And dream of all we’ve done.
We’ll dream of ghosts and goblins
And of witches that we’ve seen,
And we’ll dream of trick-or-treating
On this happy Halloween.

Halloween Night 

We love Halloween in this house. Today the kids have been carving their pumpkins with Dad. We’ve spent the last week decorating the house with all sorts of cardboard cutout ghouls and ghosts. We’ve had the fancy dress Halloween disco in school and now finally that Halloween night has arrived, we’ll be up and down our neighbourhood  ‘trick or treating’.

Of course, all this excitement has a flip side. When the witching hour approaches (that’s bedtime in parents’ language) it’ll be a whole different kind of fun and games! It’ll be “I’m scared mummy. I can’t sleep” or “My tummy hurts” or, as mummy hears, “I’ve ate too many sweeties”. But hey, it’s only one night in the year and it’s great festive fun. However, if you do find it difficult to get the children off to sleep tonight, check out our sleep tips and maybe it won’t be all ‘things that go bump in the night’!

Tips for helping children to sleep

  1. Try and limit the amount of treats your little ones eat this Halloween night. Difficult I know, but too many sugary foods and treats before bedtime can play havoc with sleep routines.
  2. If you have an established bedtime routine try and be consistent. Not easy to do at this time of year with all those Halloween parties to attend but, where possible, aim to keep the same bed time as you would on other nights.
  3. If your child is easily spooked by all the ghost & ghouls paraphernalia that is ever present at this time of year, create as restful bedroom environment as you can. Turn on a night light so that if they wake they are comforted by this.
  4.  Try a milky drink before bed. It will not only help your child sleep but it may also help settle their tummies after all those treats.
  5. Read a bedtime story to help soothe them and, if they like it, play some soothing background music to help them nod off.
  6. Finally, aim to wake your child up at the same time each morning to reinforce their night-time and morning routine

 

We at Dalzell’s would like to wish you all a very spooktastic Halloween!

What to do next

If you are worried about your child’s sleep it may be helpful to talk to your Health Visitor or GP regarding your concerns. At Dalzell’s of Markethill our expert staff are on-hand to advise on any sleep needs you or your family have. As an accredited Sleep Council retailer, we take your concerns seriously and will provide you with the best advice on beds, mattresses and bedding to suit your particular circumstances. Visit us in-storecall 028 3755 1260email or go online where you’ll find lots of information on getting a good night’s sleep. A short drive from Lisburn and located conveniently between Armagh and Newry, we’re perfectly placed to accommodate your new bed purchase. What’s more, we provide a Free Collection and Recycling of Your Old Bed service and Free Delivery of your New Bed throughout our Free Delivery Zone, which extends across Northern Ireland, and Counties Louth, Monaghan and Dublin, in the rest of Ireland. We’ll also unpack and set-up your New Divan Bed in a room of your choosing and dispose of all the packaging.

Back to School Sleep Tips

The novelist Margaret Laurence famously said: “Holidays are enticing only for the first week or so.  After that, it is no longer such a novelty to rise late and have little to do.” 

Rising late, going to bed late and being ‘BORED’ are all synonymous with school holidays. However, it’s not only kids that breathe a sigh of relief when the holidays do start – parents do too. No more frantic mornings trying to get children out of bed, organising breakfast and then of course the dreaded school run. On the flip side however, by the time the summer is out, there are few parents who don’t secretly breathe a sigh of relief when school starts again.

Back to school means many things for parents: buying new school uniforms and shoes, getting lunch boxes ready, return of homework schedules and of course, trying to reestablish bedtime routines.

Children and sleep

We all know that not getting enough sleep has an impact on people as it’s vital for our physical, mental and emotional well-being: being sleep deprived can affect concentration and memory, making it difficult to do some things. When children don’t get enough sleep their behaviour and mood can be affected, it impacts on their ability to learn and they can become hyperactive.

Children need different amounts of sleep. The younger the child, the more sleep they need, but on average from about nine years old, a child will need 15 minutes less sleep for each year that they age. So a 14-year-old will need around nine hours sleep and a 16 year old around eight-and-a-half hours sleep each night. So, how do we help our children get a good bedtime routine in time for going back to school?

Bedtime sleep tips

  1. With shortly over a week before school starts, try scaling back bedtime by 15 minutes a night and encourage your child or children to get up 15 minutes earlier each day.
  2. Cut back on sugary snacks in the evening as these can can increase energy levels and interfere with bedtime.
  3. Wind down with relaxing activities prior to sleep time, such as a bath, milky drink and a story to help relax your child
  4. Create a restful environment in the bedroom.  Is your child too hot or too cold at night? Are there distractions such as noise levels, light or is your child overstimulated by toys/computers or electrical devices in their bedroom?
  5. It’s important too that your child’s bed and mattress are giving them the proper support. Is it worn or soiled? Is it comfortable to sleep in? Try the Bed MOT to see if your child’s bed would pass.

 

What to do next

Dalzell’s is an accredited Sleep Council retailer which means our expert staff are on-hand to provide advice on sleep related issues. Visit us in-store to meet with the team where we’ll only be too happy to discuss your requirements. Based in Markethill we’re located between Newry and Armagh, so ideally placed to welcome customers from Dungannon, Cookstown and Omagh.  With over 500 beds in stock, we’re confident you’ll find a new bed that suits your growing child, or for any member of the family. No time to visit? No problem. Call us on T: 028 3755 1260,  Email or view our great selection of beds and mattresses online at ArmaghBeds.com. Our bed and mattress brands include Respa, Sleeptight, King Koil, Kaymed, Staples and Myer’s, so there’s a style and design to meet everyone’s sleep needs. What’s more we provide a Free Collection and Recycling of Your Old Bed service and Free Delivery throughout Northern Ireland, and Counties Dublin, Louth and Monaghan.