In today's digital age, it's becoming increasingly common for children to have screens as a part of their daily routine; and we’re all for equipping our kids with the tools for modern living. However, encouraging kids to read proper books at bedtime and turn off their screens before sleep can have a multitude of benefits that contribute to their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Maximise their sleep quality
Reading a book at bedtime helps children relax and calm down. The mindful activity of reading allows their minds to shift away from the stimulating and often disruptive world of screens. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with the body's production of melatonin, a hormone responsible for regulating sleep. So by turning off screens before bed, children are more likely to experience better sleep quality and fall asleep more easily.
Enhance their brain power!
Reading stimulates a child's imagination, creativity, and cognitive skills. When children read, they engage with the text, decode words, understand context, and make predictions about what will happen next. This process fosters critical thinking, comprehension, and language development, which are all useful for learning at school.
Strengthen family bonds
Bedtime reading provides an opportunity for parents and children to bond. It's a special time for shared experiences, discussions, and quality interaction. This connection can enhance the parent-child relationship, fostering trust and emotional well-being, as well as providing the child with a safe space to talk about their day.
Develop a new hobby
Reading fiction books that suit your child can be really entertaining for them, and encourage them to read more, learn the nuances of language, and enjoy the journey of feelings and thoughts that books provide with their scene setting.
Keep them calm
Screen time, particularly before bedtime, can expose children to potentially over stimulating content, including social media, video games, or TV shows. Such exposure can lead to worries and restlessness. In contrast, reading can be a soothing and calming activity that reduces stress and anxiety levels, helping children relax before sleep.
In short, we think that nothing beats reading a good book at bedtime. From enhancing vocabulary, to strengthening family bonds and encouraging mindful moments; the positives to reading a great book at bedtime are almost endless, and the opportunities for their imaginations to run free are unrivalled.
In celebration of bedtime books, our book of the month is the new Which Way to Anywhere by Cressida Cowell (the author of How to train your Dragon). We will also have a limited stock of the book which we will be sending out with each bed order over the next month (first come first served). And if your little book worms are keen adventurers, why not enter a competition to win an adventure set with our friends at Whipper Snapper, including a Little Folks Furniture bookcase!
Follow here to enter and be in with a chance to win.
Good luck, and happy reading! x
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