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A very common sleep problem with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is a
disorder that stems from issues of the parent and child sleeping together. There
are many children who insist on being nursed to sleep or on having a parent lie
beside them until he or she falls asleep. Parents don’t realize sometimes that
these well-meaning habits have created a difficulty.
When the child awakens and finds the parent is not beside them, they may not
be able to settle back into sleep. This can lead to frequent nightly arousals,
unpleasant for both the child and the parent.
On way of solving this is to put the child to bed when he or she is drowsy but still
awake. You need to, in other words, put the child to bed at a time that coincides
with natural sleep onset rather than an arbitrary hour the parent has chosen as
bedtime. Of course, most children protest when their bedtime routine is changed.
But coping with any crying can be done if you maintain communication with your
child, explaining what is happening in a soothing and comforting way. Talking in
a slow, quiet voice to a child who is distressed or angry can help calm both the
parent and the child. You don’t have to go to the extreme of allowing infants to
cry themselves to sleep. This is unnecessary and potentially harmful.
Nighttime snacks and drinks, with the exception of water, should be avoided, for
obvious reasons. They can increase arousals in the night and also affect dental
health.
Sometimes a child will be exposed to frightening media or other events, such as
a death in the family or arrival of a new brother or sister. More severe stressors,
can exist and which should be taken into account and explored.
Many problems can be settled with a child by giving them a small amount of extra
attention and conversation at bedtime. You would, of course, keep it calm. No
tickling fights.