Can Watching TV Help Toddlers to Fall Asleep?
According to many parents, watching TV can help the children fall asleep easily. Parents often have to struggle a lot to get the toddlers to sleep. So, they switch on the TV and put on their favorite movie or program so that they sleep quickly. However, it has been found that toddlers don’t go into deep sleep mode this way.
You will often see that your toddlers wake up in the middle of the night. If he or she has watched any animation or movie containing action or horror features, then they will have nightmares too and won’t be able to sleep. Studies have found that if 3 to 5-year-olds watch movies containing violent scenes after 7pm, they are likely to have sleep problems.
The blue light that is emitted from the TV and other devices can suppress the brain’s melatonin secretion. If the melatonin is not secreted in the right amount at the right time, the sleep clock is disrupted.
So, instead of using TV as a tool to make your kids sleep, you should read out bedtime stories to them or do other relaxing activities. You can try the ferber method to train your kids to fall asleep.
If you let them watch TV, then it must be before 7pm and make sure they watch family or comedy movies, not the violent ones. Cuddling is also an effective way to help them sleep.
This way your child will have a good quality sleep and won’t wake up in the middle of the night. It will also have a positive effect on your child’s health. Cut off overall TV time and let them get involved in book reading, arts and crafts. Make sure your child gets to bed early.