How difficult is it trying to get your children to sleep? Most parents probably laughed at that question and sighed deeply at the thought of night-time with kids. Now another question, how often do your children wake up at night and disturb you? If you are having difficulty getting your children to sleep and having them sleep through the night, then this is definitely the blog for you.
Create a routine! This is so important. Creating a routine so your children mentally start preparing for bedtime is crucial. Give them a bath, read them a story, and avoid screen time before bedtime as this will keep their minds active. Also, avoid high-energy activities right before bedtime. Although some assume that getting out all that energy before bedtime would be idle for a long night’s sleep this is not the case.
If your child starts throwing a tantrum before bedtime and starts the waterworks, acknowledge their feelings and try to calm them down. Explain to them why we need sleep and that everything they want to do will be their tomorrow for them.
Try to avoid co-sleeping as this can disrupt both your sleep. Your movements could wake up your child and their fidgetting could wake you up. Having a bed or cot next to your bed, so you are in the same room but not right next to each other is a good alternative to co-sleeping. Swaddling young children and using heavy blankets will help your child feel more comfortable and safe.
If your child wakes up at night, try putting on some calm music. Rocking motions are also very helpful at soothing your child so if this happens frequently, a rocking chair could be a great investment.
Finally, we know it can be very frustrating dealing with kids who are having trouble sleeping but try to stay as calm as possible. Children will feel your frustration and will have an even more difficult time falling back to sleep. Night-time should be a calming time for both you and your children.
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