Most kids need at least nine to 12 hours of sleep a night (more for younger tots). But, some children can actually suffer from sleeping problems, impacting the amount of rest they get in a given night. It could be due to a number of different factors, including diet, exercise or even environment. To solve your child's sleeping problems, there a few fairly simple things you can do to make bedtime a bit easier.
Instructions
1. Establish a fairly consistent schedule for sleep. This not only includes the time of night a child will go to bed, but also the time of morning the child will rise. Try to adhere to this schedule for the entirety of the week, with only about an hour variance on the weekends.
2. Add a warm, comforting bath to your child's bedtime routine. Putting in place a bath prior to bed can actually relax your child and make it easier for him to fall asleep.
3. Make bedtime special by including some one-on-one time with your child where you read her a story. This will add to the comfortable nature of this time of night. However, don't fall asleep yourself. As soon as your child starts to drift off or the story is done, leave the room and let your child sleep alone.
4. Set the temperature of your child's room so it is cozy--not too hot and not too cold.
5. Make sure the room is dark. This will ensure that your child isn't distracted by any change in lighting.
6. Make sure the room is quiet. This includes televisions and music being turned off (if these devices are in your child's room) prior to bed.
7. Avoid giving your child any snacks or caffeinated beverages prior to bed. Two good rules of thumb are three hours between the last meal of the night and bedtime, and six hours between a caffeinated drink and bedtime.
8. Keep nighttime activities fairly low-key. Any activities you and your child take part in prior to bed, especially with a child experiencing sleep problems, should be relaxing. You don't want your child to get wound up prior to bed.
9. Consult with a pediatrician if you're still experiencing problems with your child's sleep.
Tags: your child, child room, child sleep, child will, fall asleep, hours between, Make sure