Time for children to go to bed It can become an ordeal for some families. The reason is that, after a long day, when parents tend to be exhausted, children do not run out of energy, they are with the butt batteriesThey want to stay awake and active sweeping our tiredness.
The "techniques" that we engineer so that the children go to sleep can be varied, but today we want to talk about one in particular, which we could call the "technique of the five more minutes". Five more minutes, watching TV. Actually, I don't know if it's more of them or our technique ... Have you ever given in? Or the television does not get home before sleep?
It is clear that every day is different and we can make an exception, I do not know if it happens to you, for example, on weekends or in summer, when the schedules relax and it may be fine to end up watching some family television.
Something quiet, yes, because if we introduce a dose of action, fear or "psychedelic" drawings, what we are going to achieve is that the children get upset and do not rest well or have more difficulty falling asleep.
In fact, there are studies that indicate that the use of tablets, mobile phones or television before bedtime causes children to lose minutes of sleep and have a higher risk of feeling married the next day. Cases of parasomnias, such as nightmares, night terrors or sleepwalking, are also likely to increase.
The content of what we see on television is important, since (and it happens to all of us) the fact of seeing violent or horror content can affect us. That is why children should not be exposed to inappropriate content, at night or at any time of the day.
The calm or neutral contents are also not free of suspicion about whether they alter children's sleep. The National Sleep Foundation of the United States notes that television alters the dream. But there are those who think they don't hurt and that for five more minutes, nothing happens.
In this sense, the Netflix online platform has launched the series of drawings "Five more minutes", an animated mini-episodes inspired by the "DreamWorks Dinotrux" series, so that in those five minutes the children will see a complete program. This is the most successful scenes of the series, starring some curious characters, half dinosaurs and half trucks, a series with action (too much for the night?).
The company created them after conducting a survey in various countries and checking how the time to go to bed was a struggle for many families, as it shows in a fun way in this video.
What to do to make those five more minutes work
If we want the five minutes not to be harmful, we have to take into account some premises.
They should be something sporadic and not become the norm, for the reasons we have stated above: there are quieter (and beyond suspicion) ways for children to go to bed and we do not want this habit to be established.
You have to talk to the children first and "negotiate" that those five minutes are going to be such and then there will be no other five, another five ... if we don't want it to be half an hour in the end. A deal is a deal, and then there is no more. That is why it is convenient to ensure that the program we are watching will end in five minutes, or opt for drawings of reduced duration.
Of course, you have to control the contents that the child will see, don't leave him alone in front of the television. If it can be a familiar content, that parents also enjoy and be able to share that moment, the better.
You have to limit the exposure time in front of the TV and if you have seen a lot during the day, leave it for another time.
It is also important to control the child's sleep hours, which does not sleep less than he needs. Therefore, if you have to get up early the next day to go to school, you can postpone that moment of family television at the weekend, when we go calmer and without early rises.
The five more minutes can be a story instead of television. Suggest a story, much more relaxing and with multiple benefits before bedtime. According to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, this practice stimulates the brain, imagination and knowledge of children, while strengthening the bond. It is clear that they are benefits that they will acquire at any other time of the day, but ... who did not like to sleep with someone telling a story?
At home, during the week, the five more minutes happen if a girl comes to the room after they are already lying down (even after having read or read them), but they add to what we are watching, which is usually the news. Therefore, they do not last long (I do not know if they go out of boredom or pure tiredness).
Of course, we do not get rid of wanting to extend the television time before dinner (if they are watching it, which does not happen every day). Some weekend, in summer or holidays, we do make exceptions and we all watch a family movie, sharing a good moment that also means a lot to children and that will keep a good memory (as we remember who and where we saw this or that small movie).
In your cases, are the children going to sleep at first? Do you leave them lying down telling them a story? Or does it take more than one attempt? Do you leave your children five more minutes of television before going to bed? By the way, if you have any "tricks" so that you do not get out of bed with any excuse, we would love to meet you ...
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | The television in the children's room, yes or no ?, If you want to sleep well, no cell phones, tablets or TV in the room, The effects of children watching too much television
