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11 ways to help your child sleep better

These simple rules will help your kids get the sleep they need.
Help your child sleep better

Many parents of small children dread the evenings because getting their kids to bed can be an almighty mission. Here are some simple ideas for avoiding bedtime battles so your child sleep’s better.

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1. Have a consistent bedtime. Going to bed at the same time helps to prepare them for bed mentally as well as physically. Even if little kids can’t tell the time, their bodies can. If you let them stay up later – for example, at the weekend – it can be hard for them to go back to their normal bedtime.

2. Ban TV before bed. You might think it helps to relax them, but it can have the opposite effect, especially if there are exciting parts in the show they have watched. Scary programmes can result in nightmares. Also, the light given off by the TV can trick a child’s body into thinking it is daytime.

3. Have a routine. This helps them to wind down. After dinner, give them a bath, get them in their pyjamas and read them a story.

4. Don’t let them get overtired. It’s better to put them to bed earlier than later because once small children get overtired, they can become very scratchy and difficult to settle.

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5. Once they leave the living areas to begin the bedtime routine, don’t let them come back. Going backwards and forwards to the bathroom and the lounge where other family members may still be up can be disruptive. Other than going to the bathroom for a bath, teeth-cleaning and toileting, do the rest of their bedtime rituals in their room.

6. Say no to requests once they’ve gone to bed. Make sure they have everything they need, such as water, and have been to the toilet, then leave them to it. Anything they ask for after that (unless it is an emergency or absolutely necessary) should be denied. They’ll soon learn they can’t buy time by asking for things such as specific toys to cuddle.

7. Create a sleep-friendly environment. Keep the room an even, comfortable temperature and make sure there’s not too much light coming in (it may be worth buying blackout blinds). Keep toys in the bed to a minimum – they can be very distracting. Provide a good pillow.

8. Remove mobile devices or chances are, when you leave the room, they’ll be playing games under the covers. This takes up valuable sleep time and the light from screens affects the production of melatonin, making it harder for them to fall asleep.

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9. Don’t let them have caffeinated beverages, such as some fizzy drinks, in the couple of hours before bed.

10. Wear them out. Being physically active during the day makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer. Just don’t get them doing physical activity less than two hours before bedtime – it can leave them feeling hyped up.

11. If they are still having a nap during the day, don’t let them sleep for too long or too late in the day. If they’ve had a long sleep late in the day, they won’t be very tired at bedtime.

Image: Rob Shaw/ bauersyndication.com.au

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