Night after night you follow this routine- tuck them in, give a good night kiss, switch off the lights, and close the door- wishing that this is it- the day when your kids sleep by themselves. Twenty minutes later they are in the living room, saying they are afraid/not sleepy/bored and your dreams of a peaceful night are broken.
No matter how small, you find your kids dictating what they want for breakfast, which dress they want to wear, which channel to watch and when they want to sleep. All your efforts to explain, cajole are thwarted when they refuse it. Their ability to be independent comes in the way of what’s good for them. Kids are increasingly up till late nights as late as 2 am which affects their growth and concentration at school the next day.
Here are some of the ways to make sure that your child sleeps at regular time and gets proper sleep:
Create the mood: Kids are highly affected by the environment, if you create a relaxed environment with no phones, no loud TV and put on soft music, they will get sleepy and soon be off to bed. Many parents switch off the lights and soon enough the child gets the signal it is time to sleep and with no distractions is off to sleep.
Decide when they are ready: You should take a call about whether you think your kids are tired enough to sleep. If you want them to sleep at your destined time then they have to be worn out by that time. If they are not tired enough they will want to play till late hours at night. So let them play hard in the evening and they will surely be sleepy by nightfall.
Routine, routine, routine: One day you tell them to sleep as late as they want and next day they have to sleep at 9, this is confusing to their brains and bodies. So make a routine and stick to it with minor changes during the weekends but be consistent.
Make sleep rituals: They have to change into sleep clothes, do their homework, brush their teeth and then they are off to sleep. If your kid is too small then a warm bath that relaxes and soothes them followed by storytelling by you. These rituals insure that will not resist sleep.
Prepare them: If they are sleeping alone for the first time then you can make them comfortable by keeping their favorite soft toy near them and small night lamp on. Tell them that you are going to be there nearby in case they need anything or are afraid but they have to sleep by themselves. You have to make your own rules whether you want to go to then whenever they cry for help or want to them to soothe themselves and fall asleep.
Stick to it: You may find that your kid is not listening at first. He is getting up many times and crying aloud for not getting to play more. Experts say toddlers are busy learning about their bodies: how they work, what they can do and whether or not they really need to sleep. But with time they wonder if they are missing out on interesting activities while sleeping. They will also observe whether they can bend the rules and try to control your behavior. So when you are consistent and firm they will adapt to the change without much fuss and tears.
Adjust the nap times: For small kids, who still are used to getting naps in the afternoon, adjust naps so that they don’t get too much of it.
You will notice the change in your child’s behavior soon after they start sleeping on time. They will get up quickly without much fuss, have an appetite during breakfast and be more energetic in the day. If they are school going then they will have higher concentration levels during class and greater focus in whatever they do.
Here is table of how much sleep your child requires according to his age:
|
Age
|
Requirement
|
|
1-3 Years Old
|
12 - 14 hours per day
|
|
3-6 Years Old
|
10 ¾ - 12 hours per day
|
|
7-12 Years Old
|
10 - 11 hours per day
|
|
12-18 Years Old
|
8 ¼ - 9 ½ hours per day
|
Source: WebMD
