When a child is having issues with sleep we start by looking at a child’s rhythms from the moment they wake up until the finally close their eyes. A lot of kids we work with having troubles falling asleep or staying asleep and there are lots of reasons why this could be happening, such as temperature, sleep disorders, medication and so much more. 

However, the one I want to chat about here is the impact of light. The light of the day helps to set our sleep wake cycles. Often we think we need to look at the time just before a child falls asleep, this is important yes, however it can be what happens throughout the day that is just as important. 

Some people have started treatments such as light therapy to help set their bodies circadian rhythm (the bodies body clock that sets sleep/wake time) to help them get into the right time zone for sleep. This is quite commonly used in countries in the northern hemisphere where there are long periods of light and dark over the different months. 

So have a think about what light your child is exposed to throughout the day and how you might be able to use this to your advantage to help them sleep. If you want any more ideas or tips then please let us know!