The scariest thing about Halloween is the impact it can have on your little ones’ health
It’s the spookiest time of year, a time for kids and adults alike to let their imagination run wild and indulge in all things hair raising and spine chilling. From dressing up as their favourite fictional ghoul to knocking on doors for treats, it’s no wonder children love this time of year. But it’s important to keep some level of control in place, otherwise their sleep health might suffer.
Between late nights, scares and high levels of sugar, Halloween ticks pretty much every box when it comes to a disturbed night’s sleep. By putting certain measures in place on the big night, you can protect your little ones’ health and ensure they rest easy, all while making sure they still have a good night of frights.
Pick your witching hour
Before you start your little ones’ Halloween celebrations, make sure you know when they’re going to end. Schedule a time for your kids to go to bed and stick to it, centring your spooky activities around this time. You don’t want the move from Halloween fun to sleep to feel too abrupt, so be sure to factor in a period of ‘winding down’ after all the excitement and games have finished to ensure your little ghosts and goblins aren’t too hyper to turn in.
If possible, keep your child’s normal bedtime and evening schedule in place, such as a hot bath and a (non-scary) bedtime story. This is especially important as Halloween falls on a school night this year, and you don’t want them to be exhausted during lessons the next day.
Keep Halloween out of the bedroom
While the rest of your home might be a haven for all things ghostly and ghoulish, try to keep your child’s bedroom looking and feeling the same as it always does. This will bring a sense of normality back to the evening, letting them know that when bedtime comes, it’s time for the Halloween shenanigans to stop.
Avoid scary movies
Spooks and scares are all part of the Halloween experience, from ghostly decorations to frightening costumes and more. A Halloween-themed film is a popular evening activity for the whole family to enjoy, but remember to pick a film that won’t keep them up at night.
We’re not suggesting there’s much risk of parents picking a grizzly horror film to enjoy with their little ones, but it’s important to bear in mind that fear is subjective. What may seem perfectly innocent through adult eyes can be terrifying to children. I’m sure we can all recall at least one supposedly child-friendly film moment that left us spooked as a child (The Witches springs to mind).
If your child is too scared, they’ll find it much harder to get to sleep, resulting in a restless night for both them and you.
Manage the sweetie intake
Sweets are another cornerstone of Halloween fun, but too much sugar causes blood sugar levels to rise and will make your child hyper in the run up to bedtime, which is the opposite of what you want.
Allow them to indulge themselves to an extent, but be sure to curb their cravings after a certain point, keeping sugar intake to a somewhat sensible level.
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