Getting a child down into bed and making them sleep is one of the biggest battles a parent faces almost every single day. It can be a real struggle to get your active child bubbling with energy, to sleep on time without any aids or bribes. They will fight sleep with all their might, but you cannot give in and let them stay up late. If you are feeling helpless and have tried everything possible, you have come to the right place. Read on for some great and effective tips for getting kids to fall asleep.
Good quality sleep is essential for a child’s mental and physical growth. When a child sleeps, their body gets rest and a chance to recuperate from the day’s exertion and reset for the next day. Since children have a lot of energy, they can survive on very little sleep, unlike most adults. However, over time this can cause a lot of harm to them.
Sleep deprivation can not only affect a child’s physical growth by disrupting the hormonal balance, it can affect their mental growth, too. Many parts of the brain will suffer and impact the child’s attention span, memory and behaviour. This, in turn, can affect their performance in school or their interactions with peers.
Looking for effective tips to improve your child’s sleep quality? Here are 6 of the most effective tips you can try:
Come up with a bedtime routine that suits not just the children but the adults in the house, too. Asking small children to stay in bed and sleep while adults are loud or having fun outside will not work. The entire household doesn’t need to go to bed along with the children, but the energy has to be low and the house should be calm. Changing into night clothes, brushing teeth and reading a book can help children calm down and ease into sleep. Ensure you follow this routine without many deviations.
The bedroom can be fun and interesting during the day. When it is time to sleep, keep the lights low or dim, cut off all sounds, and use white noise or soothing lullabies if needed, but avoid using anything loud or stimulating. If your child is afraid of the dark or the curtains, you can use a night lamp and reassure them about their safety.
Some children can find it difficult to go to sleep at night if they have had a long nap during the day or are too close to bedtime. If your child is getting enough sleep at night, you can slowly shorten their daytime naps and ensure they nap as early in the day as possible. The longer the gap between their nap and bedtime, the easier it will be to make them sleep.
Avoid screentime 2 hours before bedtime. The fast-changing images and blue light can disturb sleep patterns not just in children but in adults, too. Giving children at least 2 hours before bedtime without screens can help calm their minds down and reduce stimulation.
If your child wakes up in the middle of the night, avoid talking much or answering their questions. Try to be as boring and sound as sleepy as possible. This will discourage them from thinking they can have your undivided attention at night. Avoid giving them any snacks. If they feel hungry, let them sip some water. Over time, they will realise they are not getting any interesting treats at night, and this will discourage them from waking up and asking for a snack.
Ensure the room temperature is comfortable for your child. If you are in a warm or humid area, an air conditioner can help. Refrain from setting the temperature too low and using a thick blanket or quilt on your child. If the room is too cold, your child might wake up frequently to adjust the covers. Similarly, if the room is too dry, you can use a humidifier to reduce dry cough.
In addition to ensuring your child gets sufficient sleep, it is essential to teach your child good sleep habits. Brushing their teeth, washing their hands, feet and face, wearing fresh clothing, and going to bed at the same time every night can develop healthy sleep habits and patterns in children.
When there is no consistency in their sleep habits or patterns, it not only confuses the child but can confuse the body too. The body does not get into a routine and will not sleep or wake up around the same time every day. This can affect the child’s performance in class as well.
Getting children to go to bed on time and stay asleep through the night can be a challenge for many parents. Lack of sleep can not only affect adults but children too. Trying different ideas and being consistent with the ones that work can slowly get children into a healthy sleep habit and routine. It can be exhausting at first, but will give everyone the required rest very soon.
A bedtime routine can vary from family to family, and it is best to follow what suits your family and what really helps the child. Avoiding large meals just a few minutes before bedtime, not watching screens for at least 2 hours before going to bed, and doing some soothing activity like a warm bath or reading a book can help calm down the child’s system enough to sleep well throughout the night.
Putting the toys away in the bedroom will signal to the child that playtime is over and it's time for bed. A quiet room with very dim or no light, at a comfortable temperature, can help create a soothing sleep environment for the child. Also avoid loud voices, music or any type of stimulation.
Try cutting back their daytime nap or increasing the gap between the daytime nap and bedtime. Let them have a warm bath and switch off screens two hours before bedtime. Doing some calming activity like colouring on their own or reading a book can help calm down their nervous system. You can also try white noise or some soothing projection lights to ensure your child stays in bed until they fall asleep.
