Few days ago I was talking to one of my friends. She was complaining about her son’s sleep problems and how it affects her daily life. It made me think about how sleep is important to everybody and what we should do to maintain right level of sleep. When we sleep, we rest and gain energy for a new day. We also process all the events of our daily life. After a night without enough sleep we feel exhausted and irritable. But after a good night’s sleep, we feel rested, refreshed and full of energy. No wonder that it is so important to parents that their child sleeps through the night. It influences the entire family’s life and wellbeing.
Newborn babies sleep up to 16 hours per day. Children between one year and five years old sleep up to 12 hours each day. Northwestern University scientists studied two- and three-year-old children. They find out that children who are sleeping less than 10 hours in a 24-hour period were consistently at greatest risk for behavior problems such as oppositional or noncompliant behavior, “acting out” behaviors, and aggression.
There are few “sleeping “tips for moms:
· Limit active play, television and video game play before bed.
· Make bedtime a special time. It should be a time for you to interact with your child in a way that is secure and loving
· Try to set a consistent schedule for your child and make bedtime the same time every night. His sleep patterns will adjust accordingly.
· Make sure your child is comfortable. Have a night-light left on, or the door left slightly open.
· Try to avoid letting your child sleep with you. This will only make it harder for him to learn to settle himself and fall asleep when he is alone.
· Try not to return to your child’s room every time he complains or calls out. A child will quickly learn if you always give in to his requests at bedtime.
· The most common cause of nighttime awakening is a change in routine. Changing rooms or beds, losing a favorite cuddly toy or blanket, or taking a trip away from home may all disrupt his sleep. If he’s ill or cutting a tooth, he might wake up more often. Also, between twelve and fourteen months he’ll begin actively dreaming, which can startle or frighten him awake. These are all valid reasons for him to wake up but not for you to pick him up or bring him to your room. He needs to put himself back to sleep, even if it means crying a bit first. If your child is used to getting lots of nighttime attention, you’ll need to retrain him gradually. Let’s say you’ve been giving him milk when he wakes up. It’s time to change first to diluted milk or water, and then to stop it entirely. If you’ve been picking him up, restrict yourself to calming him with only your voice from a distance. Above all, don’t get angry with him if he continues to protest. You’ll need to show him some compassion, even as you remain firm. It’s not easy, but in the long run it will improve your sleep as well as his.
· Make sure your kids have interesting and varied activities during the day, including physical activity and fresh air.
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these are good suggestions. My daughter is 6 but she is still wakes up 1-2 times a night. Very often i feel so tired that in the morning i cannot focus on things i have to do. Only after 12pm i feel better. I will try your sleeping tips.