Putting your preschooler to bed

Getting children to sleep on time is an arduous task. Your child will make requests for one more drink of water, one more story and want to visit the toilet just to avoid sleeping. Bedtime is one of the few things in life that kids are able to control and they make the most out of it. Most paediatricians however suggest that children should get ten to twelve hours of comfortable to grow in a healthy manner. When a child does not get enough sleep it can lead to behavioural problems like irritability, moodiness, weak immune system, concentration problems, shortened attention span, clumsiness, hyperactivity and other problems.

Putting a preschooler to bed is important for both the child’s health and his parent’s relaxation. Here are some tips to put your child to sleep so that he sleeps soundly.

Night time routines are essential and they work. Night time routines foster a sense of discipline and security in a child and make the child ready for what to expect next. Over a period of time night time routines will reduce power struggles and make your child more cooperative during sleep time. A good routine sets a rhythm and don’t be afraid to set one for your child.

If your child is not sleepy at bedtime reduce it by thirty minutes. However it is essential to instil the importance of a comfortable sleep in your child as it will have a happy, relaxed and attentive child on your hands, on the other hand if your child has not slept well, he can be irritable and inattentive. Children before the age of five need a regular sleep of ten to twelve hours.

Give regular exercise. Regular exercise not very close to bedtime can improve your child’s immune system and burn excess energy. This outdoor exercise should be given six to seven hours before bed time.

Avoid the intake of caffeine. Many parents don’t mind giving a sip of tea, coffee or cola to children, but you should avoid this close to bedtime as these contain caffeine and will cause sleeplessness in your child.

Give your child five minutes time before its time to sleep so that he winds up from any activities he is doing and gets ready for bed. Giving your child a comforting hug and telling him it’s time to sleep will also help.

Give your child a small snack before bedtime if you serve dinner early so that your child does not wake up hungry in the middle of the night. For example if you serve dinner at 6 pm and your child’s bedtime is 9 pm serve him a healthy cookie at 8 pm to avoid him waking up hungry in the middle of the night.

Calm down your child just before bedtime. All pre-bedtime activities should be calming your child so that your child is relaxed and ready to hit the sack and not all excited at bedtime. Any kind of high energy activities like sports and dance or television can interfere with your child’s ability to wind up for sleep.

Getting children to bed can test the patience of the most patient parents but if you establish and bedtime routine and avoid any kind of energetic activity at bedtime you can easily put your youngster to bed.