3 Top Tips to help develop good sleeping habits for your children

 

Sleep is one of the most important things to your child’s mental and physical development. The younger your children are, the more sleep they need. As your children get old sleep becomes less and less with the interferences of mobile phones and TV’s.

Therefore it’s up to you and your partner to work together and come up with ways of establishing good sleep habits for your kids. By following the next few tips you should have no trouble getting your little ones to sleep.

Create a better sleeping environment

Doing things like keeping noise levels down and making sure the bedroom is dark is a great start at setting the right mood for a good sleep. As your child is approaching their bedtime, set the mood by dimming the lights in your home, bright lights stimulate the sleep hormone which can make it hard for everyone to go to sleep. Also put a small night light in your child’s room or keep the bedroom door open slightly to help your child feel better for sleeping alone at night.

Also check the temperature of the room, make sure the rooms not too warm, if its the middle of summer, put the air con on or a fan pointing your childs way, over warm environments are difficult to fall asleep in.

Have a bedtime routine

A bedtime routine is vital to getting your child ready to sleep. Structure is also good for developing their skills. We find the best routine to place is when its approaching their bedtime, get your child to put their pajamas on, having a small drink, going to the bathroom to brush their teeth, tuck them into bed, read them a story and saying goodnight with a hug and kiss. This routine should help calm down your child.

Ease the separation with an object

Some children can sometimes feel anxious about their bedtime because they’re being left alone. A simple object such as a blanket or teddy can help with their anxiety, as a form of protection from them.

If your child wakes up in the middle of the night, leave them for a little while to see if they calm themselves down and go back to sleep, if the crying continues gently calm them down and leave. Try not to give any treat or taking your child to be with you as this will incur bad habits and they’d come to expect these rewards every time they cry.

These 3 tips should help you child develop a good routine before bed and a good sleep in bed.