4 parenting tactics to avoid at bedtime

4 parenting tactics commonly used across the UK that could be detrimental to your child's sleep

Parents in the East of England are the most likely to let their children scroll through a smartphone before bed compared to all other UK regions. On the other hand, parents in Wales are least likely to allow their children to use a phone at bedtime.  

Sleep experts at Bed Kingdom surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 parents of children aged 0-11 to reveal parents’ bedtime tactics across the UK. For each bedtime tactic in the study, the region most and least likely to adopt it by parents is revealed. The experts suggest the best tactics for your little ones to get the best night’s sleep. 

Allowing phone time before bed 

Parents in the East of England are most likely to allow their children to use their phones in bed at night, with 33% of parents admitting to this tactic. On the other hand, parents in Wales are least likely to allow their children to use phones at bedtime as only 10% allow this behaviour.  

Whilst it might seem tempting to allow your child to scroll through their phone before bed, research published in the Journal of Paediatrics reveals that using a smartphone right before bedtime is the number one culprit when it comes to sleep disruption in children. The child’s brain is still in its developmental stages, and the blue light produced by smartphones and various other gadgets disturbs the child’s internal body clock as well as making them more vulnerable to light sensitivity. These factors can cause your child’s melatonin levels to drop, disrupting sleep cycles. Ensuring a child’s phone is taken away two hours before bed can help aid in a better night’s sleep. 

Setting a strict Bedtime 

Parents in Yorkshire are most likely to set strict a bedtime for their children with, 49% of the region’s parents confirming a set routine. Parents in Wales, however, are the least likely to set a bedtime for their children as 13% enforce a routine.  

According to research from The Sleep Foundation, children that follow bedtime routines are more likely to go to sleep earlier, sleep longer, take less time to fall asleep, and wake up less during the night. The benefits to a child’s sleep quality by having a strict bedtime can be seen years later into their teens and adulthood. The benefits of this structure include: 

• Better readiness for school
• Self-care education
• Memory improvements
• Improved academic skills
• Improved social skills

Below is the recommended amount of sleep for each age group, as outlined by sleep.org. Parents should calculate each bedtime according to what time the child needs to be awake the next day: 

Resorting to bribery  

Parents in the East of England are most likely to have resorted to bribing their children to go to sleep, whilst parents in the West Midlands are the least likely to (29% as opposed to 9%). 

“I’ll let you play on your phone if you’ll just get into bed!” may sound like a common plea of bribery from a parent. It is not uncommon for parents to trade treats and activities for good behaviour, but this bribery can lead to an ongoing pattern of children acting out to get what they want.  

There is a big difference between bribery and rewards as the former often occurs under duress, whereas the latter compensates your child for good behaviour rather than being manipulated. A possible change to this bribery pattern could be setting out a list of rewards with your child ahead of time, almost like a game. That way, when your child brushes their teeth and gets into bed on time with no arguments, the child knows they will be rewarded. 

Celebrity parenting advice 

Parents in North West England are most likely to have turned to celebrity parenting bedtime tips to get their child to bed, with 35% of parents admitting to this. However, parents in North East England are the least likely region to turn to celebrities for advice (13%).  

In a world driven by celebrity culture and propagated by the media, there is likely to be some of a parent’s brain space infiltrated by celebrity lifestyle, including parenting. There are many parenting podcasts and books written and produced by celebrities offering advice to the average parent. While some celebrity parenting advice may be helpful for some parents, others may prefer to look to friends and family for advice as they have a personal connection with the parent and can give tailored guidance. There is no right or wrong way to acquire advice regarding parenting, but be wary that many celebrities have unusually high wealth and amenities compared to the average parent.  

A spokesperson from Bed Kingdom commented on the study: 

“The disparities in parenting tactics across the UK are evident in this research. Whilst every parent and child are different, there is some useful research to back up recommended universal bedtime tactics. In particular, it is very beneficial to limit your child’s smartphone time leading up to sleep so that their sleep and health is not compromised. Parents may notice the benefits of encouraging playtime, reading books or light exercise before bed to aid a good night’s sleep and improve the child’s school day.”