When children wake frequently during the night or refuse to sleep, the entire family suffers from a lack of sleep---often resulting in irritable parents and cranky children. Banish sleep woes by enforcing a consistent bedtime routine and developing a game plan for dealing with night-waking and other sleep issues.
End to Wandering
Help your child learn to get back to sleep on his own to ensure better sleep at night for your entire family. Jodi Mindell, author of "Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep", suggests that you work out a consistent plan for dealing with night-waking and nocturnal visitors to your bedroom.
To end the pattern, calmly and firmly escort your child back to his bed every time he wakes. Consider placing a gate at the door to stop her from leaving and to ensure her safety. Address any fears, such as monsters under the bed or in the closet, by checking these places thoroughly before tucking him into bed. Work out an incentive plan, using a sticker chart or another system, to help motivate children to comply with the new sleep rules.
Establishment of Routine
Establish a consistent bedtime routine a priority for your family. While busy parents and children often juggle myriad activities, a bedtime routine consisting of a bath, teeth-brushing, stories, cuddles and goodnight kisses sets the tone and helps your child prepare for the inevitable nighttime separation.
The Mayo Clinic recommends making the transition to bedtime easier for your child by keeping things quiet in the hour before you start your nightly bedtime routine: turn off the TV, unplug the computer and video games, and enjoy quiet activities like reading or doing puzzles.
Sleep Independence
Break your child's habit of relying upon you to lie beside him or sit in the room with him until he falls asleep. Instead of climbing into bed with him at night, offer him a comfort object such as a blanket, stuffed animal or doll. Anticipate his needs by ensuring he goes to the bathroom and gets a drink of water prior to turning the light out. Promise to check in on him every 10 minutes until he falls asleep. Over the next few nights, gradually lengthen the time between check-ups. Offer your child exuberant praise for staying in his bed and falling asleep without you.
References
- Babycenter: Bedtime Battles: How to Nip Them in the Bud
- Mayo Clinic: Child Sleep: Put Preschool Bedtime Problems to Rest
- "American Family Physician": Sleep Disorders and Sleep Problems in Childhood
- Babycenter: Dealing with Late-Night Visits From Your Child
- "Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep"; Jodi Mindell; 2005
