How to help your kids get enough sleep, especially during the Covid pandemic - CNN

The lack of adequate sleep does not come without a steep cost.

Insufficient sleep can cause problems in the short and long term, including not just impaired cognition, irritability and lack of patience but also diabetes and heart disease, studies have shown.

Implementing good sleep hygiene practices as a family is key — for both parents and kids.

Start with a consistent bedtime routine

Remote learning, work from home, lack of child care and financial difficulties are some of the reasons our routines look different these days.

A good bedtime routine is one of the most critical parts of sleep hygiene.

The more consistent the bedtime routine, the more your children's body clocks stay on course, and the more their brains start to associate the routine with getting sleepy.

Keep screens out of the bedtime routine — and the bedroom

The blue light that screens emit can tell your brain that it's time to be awake — the exact opposite of what we want before bed.

In my experience, although putting phones away can be a disappointment at first, many older kids find they feel liberated, more mindful and get much better sleep when their phones are left in buckets on the dining table and they don't pick them up until after breakfast.

Model good sleep hygiene for your kids

As with most things parenting-related, practicing what you preach not only reinforces the message, it shows your kids what to do.