Many children deal with sleep problems at some point in their lives. In newborns, sleep difficulties are common while their sleep schedules adapt from more sporadic periods of sleep to longer, uninterrupted periods. But even older children can experience difficulty sleeping for a number of reasons, such as stress or changing sleep requirements. Occasionally, these sleep problems could be chronic in nature. However, there are several things parents can do to improve the quality of sleep their children get at night.
Avoid Sugars at Night
Most children get hyperactive when they consume sugary, caffeinated beverages or foods at night. In some children, this can make it difficult to fall asleep at night, reports the University of Michigan Health System. If your children regularly consume these foods, your child may be suffering from chronic sleep difficulties and fatigue during the day. Similarly, nursing mothers can give their children sugars through their breast milk if they consume sugars or caffeine on their own. The best approach is to avoid any sugars or caffeine within two hours of your child's bedtime. This includes soft drinks, other sugary drinks like juice and hot chocolate and candy. Children who are sensitive to these items may experience an immediate improvement in their sleep habits.
Create a Bedtime Routine
Children are no different from adults in the way they wind down to sleep. How you prepare for bed can greatly influence how easily you fall asleep at bedtime. In general, children should be calm and quiet for the two hours prior to bedtime. Physical activity should be avoided for two hours prior to bedtime. Turn off computer monitors and televisions, and encourage your child to do quiet time activities, like reading, drawing or writing in a journal. These activities will help the body and mind wind down for sleep and help children fall asleep faster come bedtime.
Leave Your Child Alone
Parents are responsible for putting their child to bed at night. But once in bed, it falls on the child to actually fall asleep. Parents should put in place certain rules to minimize bedtime disruption, such as no food allowed after being put to bed, the lights will remain off or no getting out of bed. Your child should follow these rules and remain in bed, in a good sleeping environment, until he falls asleep. However, if your child is falling asleep late or waking up early and isn't experiencing any fatigue at night, it could be that your child simply needs a later bedtime.
