Many parents rarely get good quality sleep. This is especially true for individuals with an infant or a toddler around. Nevertheless, knowing just how to handle your child can help him/her sleep soundly for longer, and enable you to have a relaxing sleep as well.
Here are a few tips on how:
1.Avoid giving your child foods rich in caffeine a few hours before bedtime. Avoid overfeeding the kid during supper as well.
2.Avoid engaging the child in stimulating activities that might make him/her hyper. This is according to Carol L. Rosen, a pediatric medical director at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland.
3.Let the kid know when it is time for bed. Warn him/her a few minutes to bedtime to prepare his/her mind.
4.Establish a relaxing yet consistent bedtime routine. Avoid scary movies or TV shows just before bed, and read him his favorite stories every night to make him fall asleep. Make it a habit.
5.Do not sing or rock your child to sleep. While doing this makes them go to sleep faster, they may wake up in the middle of the night and force you to rock or sing to them to fall back asleep. Doing this will also prevent the occurrence of sleep-onset association disorder. Let him get used to transitioning to sleep by himself.
6.Ensure the kid is comfortable. Keep the child warm with comfortable clothes and blankets. Ensure they have a comfortable mattress such as this Costco mattress. Check to make sure the kid’s bedroom temperature is neither too cold nor too warm.
7.Let the child learn to fall asleep on her own. Some kids will call you minutes after leaving their bedroom. Although you should respond back, wait a few minutes before responding. This should give the kid some time to soothe himself or realize they need to sleep on their own.
8.Be affirmative. Some children will want to follow you to your bedroom after putting them on their beds. If they do, walk them back to the bed and remind them firmly that they need to get back to sleep.
9.Equip the child with the right tools to overcome his worries. Let your child have a spray bottle, a large stuffed animal, and a flashlight to ‘protect’ him.
10.Have a reward system in place. Set up a reward program to reward the child that goes to bed on time, and stays there all night. Be sure to give him/her the prize each morning as a show of loyalty.