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.
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.
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.
Move better.
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.
Schedule your appointment today!
Main Clinic Nova Road Clinic
386-763-2718 386-788-3385
www.PalmerClinics.com/PO
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