Sleeping easily: Parents must have a child to sleep

Sleep patterns may have been affected if your child’s schedule has changed in the last few months. Expert tips to get your child’s bedtime back on track

Quick Facts

• Never show frustration or stress to children.
• Children who are active outside will reset their sleep/wake cycles, making bedtime easier.
• Set boundaries on screen time to encourage healthy sleep

The past few months brought a number of changes for many children. The children’s normal routine may have been disrupted and their home environment could have changed. Their parents might have worked from home, and they had to miss school.

This is a lot to change. This could have a significant impact on their sleeping habits. They may sleep later and wake up earlier.

Sleep problems can manifest in many ways.

• Sleeping problems
• Wake up in the middle of the night, unable to return to sleep
• Dreams vivid or nightmares
• Bedwetting in small children increases
• Separation anxiety

No matter what age your child is, these tips will help you to reduce any bedtime problems and ensure that they get enough sleep.

TODDLERS

1. Keep to a bedtime routine. A routine can help toddlers and young children fall asleep quickly. It is soothing and reassuring and gives cues to the child that it’s bedtime.

Martin Forster, a licensed Livi child psychology expert, recommends that you keep to a schedule even on weekends and holidays. It can be fun to talk about what you are going to do in order and what your plan is.

A warm bath or reading a story can promote good sleep.

2. Your toddler will feel exhausted if you regularly exercise and breathe in fresh air. Outdoor play is beneficial for very young children and toddlers in many ways, but it also helps them tire out which promotes better night sleep.

3. Forster suggests that you should ‘fade out’ your presence if your child will not sleep in his or her own bed, even with a parent there. This is one of the easiest ways to encourage your child to become more independent. Sleep next to your child at first, and then gradually move away from the room.

4. Create a sleep-friendly environment. A dark, cool room that is comfortable and cool will help you sleep well. Use blackout curtains and blinds to help keep the temperature in your child’s bedroom between 17-18C.

The Primary Years

1. Sleep times may have changed if schedules were altered due to the coronavirus. Keep a routine that regulates their sleep patterns. Consistency is important, even though their routine may be different from when they were little. Even though a bath or shower, and reading a book before bedtime can signal that it is time to sleep, they are still important cues. Routines can also provide comfort and assurance.

2. It is important to get them outside and in the sun. It improves sleep and helps to regulate their circadian rhythms, which is their natural sleep-wake cycles.

Forster says that there is a link between movement and exercise during the day, and good sleep. Forster says that kids who exercise well will sleep better.

3. Support and reassurance Children can sense your worries even when you try to conceal them. It can cause them to have problems with their sleep, such as bedwetting.

Forster says that talking to them about their concerns and relieving the burden will help them deal with them. He says that reassuring children is one of the best ways to reduce their anxiety. The most important message to convey to a young child is that “we have a plan.”

Forster advises that you should not show frustration if bedwetting is disrupting your sleep. It’s important that you keep your emotions inside and comfort the child, he says. Try to manage your stress, or you could get caught in a vicious cycle where the child becomes more stressed over wetting their bed.

Make sure that your child does not drink too much before going to bed. Include a trip to the toilet in the routine before bedtime.

You can reduce anxiety by doing gentle breathing exercises before going to bed. The Headspace for Children app has breathing exercises and meditation.

4. Limit screen time Screen time can affect sleep quality. Children need tablets and computers for schoolwork and educational applications, but you should still set limits on screen time. You can create a screen time schedule, provide alternatives and find other ways for children to learn and enjoy themselves. You can model healthy screen usage by setting aside your screen at specific times.

Forster believes that it is important to get outdoors and exercise in order to reduce screen time.

5. Talking and drawing about dreams You may see vivid dreams or nightmares when you are stressed or worried. Forster says that a child’s daily experiences and life events are’material’ for their dreams.

Talk to them about the dream they had, and then talk about how you would end that dream. What would change the end of the dream? Forster suggests that drawing and making up stories about a disturbing dream can help re-program the brain.

TEENAGERS

1. Exercise outdoors in the morning is good for teens. Encourage teens to exercise in the morning, such as going for a run. It will cause the body to produce melatonin earlier in the evening. This helps prepare the body for sleep.

2. Reassurance can help to reduce anxiety Anxiety affects both children and adults. Teenagers may be worried about world issues. Teenagers are also susceptible to stress due to school pressures, friendship problems, issues with self-esteem, and physical changes.

You can help them by ensuring that they get enough sleep. Teenage years can be a difficult time. Regular chats and enjoyable activities can ease their anxiety and encourage them to gain confidence and independence.

Even if they don’t get enough sleep, a set schedule for schoolwork, meals and bedtime can help. Offer to talk before bedtime to help them release their feelings.

3. Encourage teens to put away their devices before going to bed. Teenagers have become accustomed to video conferencing and remote learning. It is important to set limits on screen time and make sure that teens are taking breaks from screens.

Encourage them to limit screen time to 1-2 hours prior to bedtime. Electronic devices emit blue light, which suppresses melatonin production. Melatonin is the hormone that prepares us for sleep. The blue light from electronic devices also decreases Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM), which is essential for the processing of feelings and learning. Too much screen time can make your teenager feel sleepier and less refreshed.

4. For teens who are unable to sleep, Forster suggests that they not stay in bed trying to get back asleep. Forster suggests that teens who wake up at night do not lie in bed trying to sleep. Instead, they should get up and move around until they feel tired. This will make them associate sleeping with the bedroom.