8 Things You Can Do To Help Your Child Sleep Better

If you want your child to have a good night’s sleep, then you must consider what we have to say today. You must make sure that your child gets ample rest before starting the next day. This is a healthy habit that will pay off in your child’s life later.. We all need rest for a minimum of 7 to 8 hours a day and this is a must. Pass this habit to your child for them to live a fuller life free of fatigue and other related ailments.

8 things you can do to help your child to sleep better:

Sleep trouble is not only a concern for adults, sleep problems can disturb your young ones as well. The problem with your child not getting sleep will affect your life and schedule as well. So, it would be wise of you to deal with any sleep problems immediately and try to get your kids to have a good nights sleep, for your sake as well as for your your child.

Set A Bedtime

Yes, this is an important step towards assisting your child to better sleep. You need to set a time that they must adhere to for bedtime. Remember, that school going children need 9 to 11 hours of sleep on a regular basis. They need to wake up in a refreshing mood and you must take care of that.

Fix A Wake Up time

In the same way, you must set a wake up time for them to learn discipline. You can count the hours when your child falls asleep and wake them up accordingly. You can allow them to sleep till later during school holidays, but make sure that it does not bring down your daily routine. Consistency is the key and hence, making them sleep and wake up at the same time every day is a way of helping them sleep better.

Induce Sleep By Creating The Right Ambiance

Adding a cushy soft toy is a good idea, but too many of them would be adistraction. Soft sheets, dimming the lights and being quiet will help you create a setting conducive to sleep. If you have a newborn or a preschooler then making them understand the difference between night and day is important. Additionally, make them wear comfortable clothes while sleeping at night. Keep the room temperature cool, as this is a must for deep slumber. This will make the room cozy and you must ensure that the room is snug for your child.

Proper Bedding

We have already mentioned sheets, but this needs a special discussion for sure. You need a good mattress for a crib or a bed that will help your child sleep better. This will help them sleep in the right posture as well. If you are co-sleeping them you must make sure that you have the right kind of bedding in place to encourage healthy sleep in your child.

Calming Food

Feed your child with appropriate food before bedtime. For example, carbs and amino acids can lull you to sleep, so  include rice or whole wheat products with your child’s evening meal. Warm milk is great for helping a child to sleep. The amino acid L-tryptophan raises serotonin and melatonin levels which aid sleep. Just avoid giving them anything oily or something with excessive sugar content.

Sleeping according to age

In order to, help your child sleep properly, you must know how many hours of sleep is required as per their age. We have the simple chart, you can follow this for best results:

• Babies can sleep for 16 to 18 hours in a day
• 12 to 15 hours per day for a baby of 4 to 11 months
• Toddlers (1 to 2 years old) sleep for 11 to 14 hours a day
• Preschoolers (3 to 5 years old) sleep for 10 to 13 hours
• School going children (6 to 13 years) can sleep for 9 to 11 hours
• Teenager (14 o 17 years) would do by sleeping for 8 to 10 hours
• Young adults (18 to 25) need to sleep for 7 to 9 hours in the least

No Television Before Bed

This is something that all modern parents must know because this will help them become better parents for sure. Pay attention that you switch off the television at least 2 hours before helping them doze off. It could be a smartphone or a tablet that you may need to switch off before enjoying forty winks. Turn your bedroom into a screen-free zone or at least turn them off.

Avoid Singing Or Rocking

This is true because if they are in the habit of being sung to or rocked while falling asleep, they will need you to do it all the time to fall asleep. You could be tired from a day’s work or by serving guests; they will still want you to carry on with the normal practice. Again, if they wake up in the middle of the night, they will want to you lull them to sleep by rocking or singing them songs. Start teaching your child how to fall asleep on their own without being rocked -this will help your child to be able to fall asleep unassisted. There are many ways to sleep train your child, do some research and find the method that works for you.

Conclusion

If your child has long term struggles with falling asleep you may need to consider that your child needs more help. Look for signs that bother your child like nightmares, night terrors and other fears. You can consult a pediatrician to find out if they have a genuine sleep disorder.

Otherwise, comfort them and try getting rid of the fears they may have. Like spraying the room with monster sprays or hanging dream catchers around.