Help Your Child Get Good Sleep
When your child or teen can not sleep, it can be tough on the whole family. They may keep you up all night with them or their behavior may be poorer than usual due to their inability to get enough shut-eye. So, you must do whatever you can to help them get back into a good sleep routine.
With that in mind, here are a few things you can do to help your child get a goods night’s sleep right now:
Put a good sleep routine in place
If your child does not already have a good sleep routine in place, then you need to change that. If your child goes to bed at the same time each night and gets up at the same time each morning, eventually it will train their bodies that it is time to sleep. They will soon have no trouble dropping off.
Wind down
For an hour before bedtime, you should try to engage in only relaxing activities with your child whether that means running them a hot bath reading a relaxing book, or spending some time simply chatting.
Get rid of naps
If your child still has naps, but when it comes to bedtime they can not get to sleep, it may be worth shortening the length of their naps with a view to eliminating them completely eventually. That way, they will be more tired come bedtime and more likely to drop off.
Ditch the screens
Ideally, kids should not be looking at screens in the 60 minutes before their bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens mimics sunlight and throws the body’s circadian rhythms out of whack which can prevent those all-important sleep hormones from kicking in. Do something else with them instead.
Improve their posture
If your child struggles to sleep because they cannot get comfortable in bed, then it could be a posture issue that is keeping them awake at night, Correcting this could be as simple as buying an orthopedic mattress or having a few sessions with a pediatric chiropractor. So, do ask them if they feel comfortable in bed or not.
Ensure they feel safe
Sometimes, kids cannot get to sleep at night because they do not feel safe and secure at bedtime. Sometimes, a nightlight and a soft toy to protect them are all it takes to make them feel more comfortable at home, but if that doesn’t work, you may need to ensure they avoid scary shows and books, spend more time with them in bed until they drop off or speak to them about what specifically would make them feel better.
Don’t give them caffeine
You might think your child does not get any caffeine, but it is not just coffee you have to be wary of. Many soda drinks and candy products also contain caffeine, so you need to check very carefully what they are consuming.
It may seem hopeless right now, but with the correct intervention, it is possible to help your child get back to sleep.