​Tips for a Good Night's Sleep for Your Child

One common problem both adults and children face is a fluctuating sleeping schedule. For children especially, this can be particularly worrisome because a good night’s sleep is essential to promote the proper growth of your child. Singing lullabies and reading princess stories might work for some but there are other more realistic tips to ensure a peaceful shut eye for your child.

Make the Bedroom Sleep-Friendly
You might think that children can fall asleep anywhere as long as they’re tired but that’s not usually how it works. Just like any adult, optimum environmental conditions to encourage sleep are essential for your child. Studies have proven that rooms that are warmer result in a more peaceful, uninterrupted sleep while colder temperatures even in the hot summers can be uncomfortable for sleeping.

Apart from making sure the temperature is ideal, you need to keep the lights dim and the noise minimum. A quiet, dark room is the first step to making your children sleep. Don’t worry if your child is scared of the dark; you can leave the door open or install a dim bulb in the corner.

Lay Off the Caffeine
Now unless your child is too sophisticated and mature for his own good, he probably won’t be reaching out for a cup of coffee or tea. But those beverages aren’t the only ones that keep you up at night. Soda and cokes are loaded with enough caffeine to disrupt your child’s sleep as well.

Set a Schedule
Our bodies are wired to work with a natural circadian rhythm. Falling asleep at the same time each night will help you and your child to set a fixed, healthy sleeping schedule. Allot a bedtime for your child (7 or 8pm) and your child will start feeling sleepy on the exact same time every day in a few days.

Encourage Sleep-Friendly Activities
Exercise and an active playtime in the day with a warm bath and a cup of warm milk at night can really help make your child feel cozy and sleepy. If your child is a fan of reading, then read them a story aloud in a quiet voice until they fall asleep.

Proper growth and development of your child greatly depends on the sleep your child is getting. With these aforementioned tips, you can help your child get a well-deserved beauty sleep at night.

These are the principles and ideas we implement at our Albany child care program.  Have questions?  Give us a call!