SLEEPING AND SLEEPING PROBLEMS  IN YOUNG CHILDREN

 

Introduction

Most children do not sleep through out the  night. Children  need to be fed, changed and comforted often.  To help your  child sleep longer periods at night,  make sure your child  is getting enough to eat during the day.  Try to increase the last feeding before bed.  Make sure the mattress if firm and fits.  Remove quilts pillows and soft  toys from the bed. Help your child to find a   way to get comfortable and  sleep without your help.

Common Problems

Sleeping  problems are some of the most common problems parents face with their children.  You may wonder about how to get your child to sleep through out  the night.  You want to learn how to help child to develop good sleeping  habits.   Some children may have chronic sleeping  difficulties.

Time duration

Children still need somewhere between 9 and 12 hours of sleep at night.  As the parents, you will need to help figure out how much sleep your child needs. Your child is getting the right amount of sleep if they:

• Can fall asleep within 15 to 30 minutes.
• Can wake up easily at the time they need to get up 
• Are awake and alert all day, and do  not  need a nap during the day.  

In other words, if your child can go to bed, fall asleep easily, wake up easily, and not be tired during the day, then they are probably getting enough sleep.

DOs

• 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, yet firm. At bedtime, spend some special time with your child. Be firm and go through a certain bedtime routine that your child is used to. At the end of that routine the lights go off and it is time to fall asleep.
• Put some thought into finding your child’s ideal bedtime.  In the evening, look for the time when your child really is starting to slow down and getting physically tired. That is the time that they should be going to sleep, so get their bedtime routine done and get them into bed before that time. In the event  you wait beyond that time, then your child tends to get a second wind.   
• Keep to a regular daily routine the same waking time, meal times, nap time and play times will help your child to feel secure and comfortable, and help with a smooth bedtime.   
• Use a simple, regular bedtime routine.  It should not last too long and should take place primarily in the room where the child will sleep.  It may include a few simple, quiet activities, such as a light snack, wash, cuddling, saying goodnight, and a  bedtime story.
• Make sure the sleep routines you use can be used anywhere, so you can help your child  get to sleep wherever you may be. 
• Make sure your child has  interesting and varied activities during the day, including physical activity and fresh air.
• Use light to your advantage.  Keep lights dim in the evening as bedtime approaches.  In the morning, get your child into bright light, and, if possible, take them outside.  Light gives  signal  to the brain to go to sleep.

DON’Ts

• Never calm your child to sleep by putting them to bed with a bottle of juice or milk. Water is  ideal.    Feed or nurse your child, and then put child  to sleep.
• Starting solid food sooner will not help your child to  sleep though out  the night.  In fact, if you give your child solids before their system can digest them, they may sleep worse.  
• Don not fill up your child’s bed with toys.  It is probably best to keep your child’s bed a place to sleep, rather than a place to play. 
• Never use sending your child to bed as a threat. Bedtime needs to be a secure, loving time, not a punishment.  Your goal is to teach your child  that bedtime is enjoyable.  If the feeling around bedtime is a good feeling, your child will fall asleep quickly.
• Do not give your child foods and drinks with caffeine in them, like hot chocolate, tea, cola, chocolate, etc.  Even caffeine earlier in the day could disrupt your child’s sleep .
• Do not let your child watch more than one to two hours of TV during the day, and do not let them watch TV at bedtime at all. TV viewing at bedtime has been linked to poor sleep.
• If your child has a TV set in  bedroom, remove it. Research shows watching TV is linked to sleep problems, especially if the TV set is in the child’s bedroom. The presence of other media, such as a computer, video games or Internet in a child’s bedroom is also associated with  sleeping  problems.

Not getting enough sleep can lead to serious problems for your child and is all too common in our society. All children have times at night when they sleep more lightly or wake up.  Night waking can become a problem when it is very frequent or when your child has trouble getting back to sleep.

When your child does not want to go to bed at night, they  stall, and just refuse to go to sleep. Things like teeth grinding and night terrors are usually not anything serious.

Conclusion

 Gently pat your child.  Talk to you child. You voice will let your child know everything is alright and it is time to sleep. Have a bedtime routine  in order for the child to recognize  the time to sleep.   A wash, reading a picture book, dimming the light etc give your child time to get used to sleep. Try to have a regular routine to your child’s day, especially for eating and sleeping. Realize that every child  is different.