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Bedtime Matters
Follow the same efficient but nurturing bedtime routine every night and your child will fall asleep peacefully.
Children's health and behavior take a nose dive when their sleep habits are out of whack. Insufficient sleep makes children short-tempered and whiny. In school, a sleep-deprived child has trouble with concentration, memory, physical performance and decision making.
On the flip side, adequate sleep will boost your child's energy and enthusiasm. Good-quality sleep also can help your child learn more easily and reduce many behavioral problems.
Sleep: How much is enough?
Because each child is different, it's not possible to set an absolute amount of sleep that all children require. In general, children between 1 and 3 years of age seem to thrive on about 10 to 13 hours of sleep at night, with maybe a nap during the day.
Preschoolers sleep about 10 to 12 hours a night, and daytime naps become less common around the age of 5. Between the ages of 6 and 9, most children need about 10 hours of sleep a night, while preteens need a little over nine hours.
Too little sleep: Telltale signs
When adults don't get enough sleep, they're usually grumpy and lethargic. Children can act this way, too, but they may also swing to the opposite extreme and be hyperactive. Your child may require more sleep if he or she:
- Has a short attention span, or is irritable or restless
- Has unusually low energy and activity levels
- Is more tearful, anxious, touchy, defensive or impatient than usual
- The problem of frequent waking
Most children wake up several times during the night. They are capable of falling back to sleep on their own — they just don't know it. Giving them the confidence and tools to help themselves sleep is up to you.
It helps if you start when they're still babies. If you routinely put your 7-month-old to bed drowsy but not fast asleep, he or she will be familiar with the feeling of drifting off alone in a quiet room. If you wait a few minutes before responding to middle-of-the-night crying, your 8-month-old may quiet down and doze off without your help.
These strategies won't work every time or with every baby, but if you're lucky, they'll help you avoid bedtime struggles and interrupted sleep as your child grows older.
Going to sleep alone
Some children have never learned how to go to sleep alone. They often fall asleep being held by a parent, in front of the TV. They may want a parent to lie down with them as they go to sleep, or they may insist upon sleeping in their parents' bed.
Once begun, sharing a bed with your children is a hard habit to break. At some point, all children need to learn how to go to sleep and return to sleep on their own. Bedtime routines can help children feel more comfortable about going to sleep by themselves.
Bedtime routines
Most bedtime routines last about 30 minutes and include a bath, brushing teeth, reading stories and talking about the day. Try to keep the same sequence each night because familiarity is comforting for children.
Having a comfort item, such as a stuffed animal or favorite blanket, can help children soothe themselves to sleep. Soft music also may be helpful. Avoid giving your toddler a bottle in his or her bed because the liquid can pool around the teeth and cause serious dental problems.
Bedtime conflicts
If your young child won't stay in his or her bedroom, you may have to shut the door or put up a gate or barrier. You may even have to lock the door if your child tends to wander around the house after you've gone to bed. Children under the age of 5 don't understand the dangers of fire, hot water, knives and going outside.
If your child is truly fearful, don't close the bedroom door. Instead, promise to check on him or her every 15 minutes. During these checkups, praise your child for being so quiet. Leave the room within 30seconds. Eventually, your child will fall asleep.
Individualized treatment
Each child is different and has his or her own way of approaching sleep. Some take extra time to fall asleep, while others wake more often during the night. You know your child's personal habits best, so with a little trial and error, you should succeed in finding a schedule and routine that suits your family.
Courtesy article provided by www.mayoclinic.com
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