Parents can also help ease infants
into the sleeping patterns you want
them to develop by putting them
in sunny rooms during the daytime
and dark rooms at night. Eventually
they’ll begin sleeping more at
night and napping less and less.
As kids get older, a routine should
involve an established bedtime,
because they’ll often want to stay
up watching tv, playing games, or
texting. And because it can be hard
for kids to fall asleep after all the
stimulation they get from doing
these things, the bedtime routine
should also involve some screen-
free time before bed to help them
wind down. The goal is for kids to
go to bed already feeling drowsy.
Make bedrooms good for
sleeping
Another important element of
good sleep hygiene is to make the
bedroom a good place for sleeping.
The room should be dark and not
too distracting. Bedrooms often
have glowing alarm clocks, flashing
lights on game consoles, and
phones that vibrate with each new
text. Kids’ rooms in particular also
tend to be filled with fun toys that
claim attention.
For the best quality of sleep,
bedrooms should be cool and
comfortable. This can be a struggle
with some kids who prefer falling
asleep with the weight of a
blanket, but then wake up sweaty
and uncomfortable. If this is the
case with any of the children in
your home, try to use thinner
blankets and pajamas.
Consistency is key
The biggest obstacle to getting
kids to sleep is often parental
inconsistency. Once you’ve
established a routine, stick to it.
You want to be predictable. For
example, if it’s your routine then
your child should know that she’s
going to take a bath and then she’s
going to hear a bedtime story,
and then it’s lights out. Not only is
predictability soothing, the built
in warning gives her a chance to
get sleepy on her own, before it’s
abruptly “bedtime.”
Sticking to a routine doesn’t mean
that you can’t be flexible. Kids are
more likely to cooperate when you
have their goodwill, so consider
building some flexibility into the
schedule. For instance, you can let
your child know that she can play
for fifteen minutes and then let her
choose whether she wants to play
before her bath or after. Also keep
in mind that all kids are different,
so the sleep routine that worked
for one child might not work for
her brother.
The child’s bed, not yours
One of the biggest sleep disrupters
is the tendency of some children
to go into the parents’ room in the
middle of the night for comfort.
Some kids do this very frequently,
and it can be hard on the whole
family. If your child wakes up in the
middle of the night, you should
get him back to his bed as soon as
possible. Kids like having these late
night interactions with parents, but
we should do our best to minimize
any reward that they might be
getting from them.
Don’t have a long conversation and
don’t let him climb into bed with
you. For kids who really depend
on that comfort and aren’t going
to fall asleep without it, it’s much
better for parents to walk kids
back to their room and then sit in a
chair next to the bed to keep them
company until they fall asleep.
This can be hard on parents—if
your child regularly wakes up
you’ll want to make sure the chair
is comfortable—but kids need to
learn that they can sleep on their
own.
If your child is having serious
trouble falling asleep and
consistent sleep hygiene isn’t
working, it’s always a good idea
to consult a pediatrician. Sleep
medication shouldn’t be given to
children, but other interventions do
work. Kids can learn relaxation and
self-soothing techniques that help
them fall asleep, and as they get
older there are cognitive tools that
help, too.
One last rule is that the bed should
only used for sleeping. Kids,
especially teenagers, use their beds
for everything, including doing
homework and watching television.
This is actually bad because kids
should only associate their beds
with sleep. That way when they’re
in bed they know why they’re
there—and they don’t feel like they
could be watching TV instead.
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