How to Get Your Child to Sleep

Getting your children to sleep allows them to be at their best and ready to take on the day. Better sleep allows children to be happier and full of life. They are more alert and easier to handle when they get a full night’s rest. How many hours of sleep do kids need? The amount of sleep for each child is different, but it can be somewhere between ten and fourteen hours a day, depending on the age.

As most parents know, it is not easy for children to sleep sometimes. You will find yourself screaming, begging, and threatening your child to go to sleep. Nothing works. No matter how hard you try, your child will pop up and keep jumping out of bed. Parents need some good solutions to this problem.

Make Sure Your Children Are Active

Sometimes, a child has too much energy before going to bed. If your child spends enough energy throughout the day, it will be easier for her to sleep. The problem is, children have so much energy that it can be hard, but it is possible. Here are a few suggestions to ensure they will be sleepy by night-time:

• Encourage your child to take part in activities such as sports or dance
• Schedule some play-time for your child. Perhaps a 30-minute visit to the park or encouraging your child to play outside for a while
• Limit your child’s time on electronics. When a child is playing on their phones, video games, or watching tv, they are being inactive. This prevents them from burning their energy and they will be restless at night
• Keep your child busy doing a productive activity at home. If you give them something to do at home, they will be able to be calm and relaxed by bedtime

Turn Off Stimulation

The general rule of thumb is to turn off all kinds of mental stimulation at least two hours before your child goes to bed. It is hard for your child to sleep when they are thinking of a movie or a video game they engaged in. If your kid has some electronic stimulation on their minds, they will be restless. If you manage to redirect their energy on something else, bedtime will be so much simpler.

Read or Sing to Your Child

There is nothing like being comforted to sleep. Children love having a bedtime story or being lulled to sleep by the comforting voice of a loving parent. Doing so will give them pleasant and peaceful thoughts and the security of love and comfort. These are warm fuzzy feelings that put you in a blissful state of mind which is perfect for going to sleep.

Have a Consistent Schedule

The most important thing that you can do to help your child is to have a routine. The more consistent the plan is, the easier it will be for your child to sleep.

• Set a wake-up time. If your child sleeps in, it will be harder for them to get to sleep. If they get used to waking up at the same time, they will have better sleep habits
• Set a defined bedtime. Aim to get your child in bed at the same time every night. Once this becomes a habit, the child will know what to do and prepare for lights-out
• Have a routine for getting your child ready for bed. You get more of what you reinforce. If you have a routine for going to sleep, your child will start adjusting their habits and mental self for sleepy time.

Stick to Your Plan

This seems to be obvious, but it is easy to have a plan. It is very hard to stick to it. Your child is going to do everything they can to try to bend the rules and get a little more playtime. Prepare for crying, begging, and temper tantrums. Don’t you dare give in! It is crucial to stand strong and stick to the plan that you have prepared. If you deviate from the plan, it will be hard to stick to it. We tend to be habitual creatures and stick to our habits even if they are bad habits. When we have bad habits, it is very difficult to break them. Therefore, discipline yourself to stand firm until your habits become natural, and bedtime will be easier.

It is difficult to get your children to sleep, but it can be done with the right approach. The Mayo Clinic has written wonderful advice on child sleeplessness. Just know that you are not alone in this problem. All parents go through this stage at some point in their parenting career and there are solutions.