Parents may unknowingly make mistakes that interfere with their child’s healthy sleep.
If a child experiences any sleep issues, it may be due to the parents’ unconscious mistakes. Remember how long ago the child had these problems. With some effort, you can fix the situation.
Sleep disorders are quite common in children. To prevent your child’s poor sleep from becoming a common occurrence and causing more serious problems, try to avoid the following mistakes.
The child does not follow the daily routine
The child will get the most benefit if a clear time for sleep is allocated in his daily routine. Before going to bed, the child should not play in his bedroom: you should separate the space where he sleeps and where he plays, so that he learns to tune in the right way.
An hour before bedtime, you should prepare your child for this: dim the lighting in the room, create a quiet atmosphere, switch him from noisy and energetic games to quieter activities. You can turn on relaxing music. Reading aloud is also a good way to relax your child and prepare him for sleep.
The child is not active enough during the day
If you notice that your child has a lot of unspent energy at the end of the day, try to organize his day in such a way that he is physically active during the day. Let him play outdoors – children love such games because they have enough space for this. If the child does not have the opportunity to play outside, encourage him to exercise during the day.
You do not set clear rules for your child
If your child does not want to go to bed on time, tell him that he will miss an interesting bedtime story. Hug your child before bed to show him your love and care. Don’t let him play before bed.
Try to use positive reinforcement instead of punishment to motivate your child to follow a daily routine. If your child goes to bed on time during the school week, he acquires the habit of waking up on time and being on time for school or kindergarten. To develop this habit, you can give your child various perks throughout the day as a reward.
If these recommendations are not followed and the child does not get enough sleep at night, during the day he feels tired and emotionally depressed. This can have many negative consequences for him. Therefore, every effort should be made to ensure a healthy sleep of the child.
You are not paying attention to the signals when the child wants to sleep
Children, especially preschoolers, experience behavioral changes when they experience sensory overload or overwork. Therefore, when a child wants to sleep, he may show the following signs:
- he starts sucking his fingers
- he does not maintain eye contact with you
- his speech becomes slurred
- he begins to rub his nose, pull his clothes, his movements become restless
- he starts to act up
- he wants to lay down
Parents sometimes misinterpret these signs as bad behavior and therefore miss the moment when the child wants to sleep. Pay special attention to such signs if the child has not slept during the day.
You stay out of bed for too long
Some parents don’t put their kids to bed until late in the hope that they’ll get more tired and sleep better. This opinion is fundamentally wrong. Severe fatigue and sensory overload, on the contrary, can lead to the fact that the child will not be able to fall asleep normally. Therefore, it is better to put the child to bed early at the same time every day.
You stay close to the child until he falls asleep
If your child can’t fall asleep alone (or can’t fall asleep after waking up at night) and expects you to be there for him when he falls asleep, this could reflect badly on your family life. If you continue to indulge your child in this, he will never learn to calm down and fall asleep on his own.
To teach your child to fall asleep on their own, follow these recommendations:
- control the situation – set a clear time when the child should go to bed
- tell your child before bed that you love him and that he is safe
- let the child sleep with his favorite soft toy – so he will be more comfortable if he wakes up at night
- turn on a night light in the child’s bedroom
- if the child is still very small and sleeps in a crib, at night, when you hear a baby crying, get up to him, try to calm him down without taking him in your arms
With a child of older preschool age, you can discuss the rules that relate to sleep. In this case, the following strategy should be used:
- acknowledge the child’s feelings. For example, you can tell him: “I know you would like to sleep with me”
- then reflect your feelings, for example: “I would like to sleep with you too”
- then explain your decision: “I can’t lie next to you right now – my head hurts”
- offer the child an alternative: “I will sit next to you until you fall asleep”
- gradually increase the distance: first, stand at a greater distance from the child’s bed, then just briefly go into his bedroom before going to bed
- if the child does not agree with the established rules, if he argues and cries, tell him that you will leave the room if he does not stop crying. If after that the child calms down, hug him and after a few minutes leave the room
- if the baby continues to cry, leave the room, but come back after a few minutes to make sure the baby has calmed down
- over time, reduce the time it takes to put your baby to bed
- use your strategy consistently: conflicting information can be confusing for a child
- you give your child treats in the evening that stimulate his activity
Giving your child candy, chocolate or sugary soft drinks after dinner can increase their activity. However, it is necessary that in the evening he, on the contrary, calms down and gets ready for bed. Therefore, be careful what the child eats in the evening.
The quality of a child’s sleep affects how he feels throughout the day. Avoid mistakes and ensure your child has a good sleep – and he will be in a good mood all day.