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| Falling asleep at the kitchen table is not ideal to say the least |
It’s bad enough trying to get a newborn baby to sleep, let alone when they’re older and more resilient. The tricks you may have used when they were babies may not work anymore and if they’ve gotten into a habit of staying awake, or waking in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, it can be difficult to get them out of the habit and back to normal.
It’s recommended that between the ages of 5 and 11, a child needs between 10 and 12 hours of sleep a night, which can prove to be quite difficult if they’re reluctant to go to bed. Here are some tips that may help establish good sleeping patterns.
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| Mr A in his pyjamas before bedtime |
Use a routine
Devise a routine that is regular. A 30-minute routine that includes a bath, pyjamas and a story can help to relax them and prepare them for sleep. Having a warm bath can help to soothe them, no matter how old they are, while getting ready into snug sleepwear will help to ensure they’re comfortable. You can find some great value George boy’s dressing gowns, pyjamas and slippers online and in-store, so that they’re nice and cosy, ready for a restful sleep.
Use blackout curtains
While the winter months don’t pose much of a problem, as summer draws nearer and the nights get lighter, it may be difficult for children to drift off to sleep. It may be tempting to change their bedtime so that they go to bed when it’s darker outside, but try to avoid this. Instead, invest in some good quality blackout curtains so that they know it’s bedtime, no matter how light it is outside.
Avoid electronics in the bedroom
If they have access to a TV, games console or DVD player in their bedroom, they’ll be tempted to use them after lights out. This can mean that, despite going to bed, they’re not getting as much sleep as they need and will likely be irritable in the mornings. Teach them that games and television are not to be used at bedtime and limit their usage of them before bed, too.
Avoid caffeine products
As children grow, they will be more tempted to drink caffeine products, such as energy drinks or popular fizzy drinks. They shouldn’t have the need to drink these at all, and if you find they are inclined to drink them during the morning walk to school, or during the day, it’s likely to be because their sleep patterns are disrupted. Avoid caffeine products and they will be able to settle to sleep easier, too.
Make their room conducive to sleep
Make sure that their room is dark and quiet, without anything that could tempt them away from bed. Reward good behaviour and try and keep things such as mobile phones out of their room so that they won’t be tempted to stay up chatting to their mates.
It can be difficult to encourage older kids to stick to a regular bedtime, especially when those around them may have more lenient rules. However, sleep really does matter, and if you can stick to a routine (no matter how reluctant they are), they’ll be happy, healthy and well-rested.
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great tips... we don't really stick to a routine, they go to bed when they're tired. But they don't have tv's or screens in their rooms, and rarely watch TV before bed. I usually diffuse some lavender oil around bedtime in the rooms too to help them sleep
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh that picture of little A sleeping on the table is the cutest! x
ReplyDeleteWe have always struggled with sleep with our oldest and he's 7 now!! I keep hoping it might get better...we definitely need to establish more of a routine but he just tells us how much he hates sleep!! Great post.
ReplyDeleteI think we've finally cracked sleep with Ebony. She still wakes during the night, but is fast asleep by 7pm most nights now. Phew.
ReplyDeleteWe have had our ups and downs with sleep, but thankfully F is back into a normal routine of going down by 7/8pm and awake by 7am. Hoping it stays that way :) x
ReplyDeleteI love the top photo! Before having kids I never thought anything of children sleeping in odd places but since having two I just don't understand how it happens, especially the highchair ones! Neither of mine have ever fallen asleep anywhere but the sofa, bed or car. Not sleeping properly is the worst, J was awful for ten months but has been sleeping through for the last couple of months which isn't too bad, although he does wake at 5am which is too early!! x
ReplyDeletethese are good tips! I never had a problem getting my child to sleep; however we want more kids and I've heard kids aren't the same so I might be bustin out these tips at a later date! haha. by the way, I just found your blog from the $45 giveaway. I'm glad I did and I'm excited to be following along!
ReplyDeleteWe've been relatively lucky with Theo's sleep (well since about 18months old!) and he sleeps pretty much from 7pm - 7am, and rarely wakes before that. But he has pretty much dropped his day time nap, as he declares it's daytime and you can't sleep in the day time! So black out blinds are a must for us now that it's staying lighter.
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