When you sleep, muscles and skin repair and grow, memories organize and hormones release, regulating growth and appetite, according to the University of Missouri Extension. Getting adequate sleep is essential to the health and well-being of your child, but getting him to sleep often proves difficult. Providing your child with a predictable schedule and routine will help him get to sleep and stay asleep, improving his physical and cognitive functioning during the day.
Step 1
Maintain a consistent daily schedule. Your child feels comfortable and relaxed when she knows what to expect. Maintaining consistent wake-up times, meal times and play times helps your child feel safe and secure and helps her avoid bedtime struggles, according to the University of Michigan Health System.
Step 2
Find your child's perfect bedtime. Monitor your child for signs of sleepiness in the evenings. He should go to sleep when he begins to slow down and shows physical signs, such as yawning or rubbing his eyes. Once you determine the perfect bedtime for your child, schedule a bedtime routine that will begin and end prior to your child's perfect bedtime. According to the University of Michigan Health System, if your child stays up past his perfect bedtime he may get a second wind and become difficult to get to sleep.
Step 3
Develop a bedtime routine. The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh recommends giving your child quiet time for 20 or 30 minutes before the bedtime routine starts. Quiet time can consist of listening to soft music or reading a book but should not involve television viewing or computer time. The bedtime routine begins after quiet time and should include toileting and brushing teeth. When your child is ready for bed, say goodnight, turn off the light and leave the room. You may give him hugs or kisses, read a bedtime prayer or provide him with a security item such as a blanket or stuffed animal in the bedtime routine.
Step 4
Use natural lighting. Light helps signal your child's brain to the proper sleep-wake cycle, according to the University of Michigan Health System. To help your child wake up in the morning, provide natural sunlight and get your child outdoors if possible. As bedtime approaches, keep the lights dim and make sure to turn off the lights when your child crawls into bed.
Tips and Warnings
- Put your child in bed when she is awake so she learns to fall asleep on her own. Do not put your child to sleep with juice or milk, which can cause tooth decay and do not give your child caffeine, even early in the day, as it interferes with sleep habits. Avoid using bedtime as a threat or punishment.
