Getting your child to sleep is not always easy for parents. Indeed, stopping to play or leaving mom and dad to go to sleep is not the favorite activity of our little wolves. They often prefer to continue to have fun or enjoy the presence of parents who were away all day. While parents, who often have a flat battery in the evening, want to enjoy a little moment of calm and rest after a long day of work. It is then, that the bedtime becomes very complicated for the parents and rather irritating for the children.
To overcome this and make your child sleep peacefully, here are a few easy tips to adopt.
Getting your child to sleep: Establishing bedtime routines
By having the same ritual every night, the child will know what to do once the meal is over. For example, as soon as we leave the table, we go brush our teeth and get a book. Once this routine is established, don't change it!
It takes a little effort at first, but it will save you a lot of time each night! There is nothing more reassuring for a toddler than a succession of gestures and words that are repeated night after night. Start by preparing your child for the fact that he will soon have to stop his activities. Little ones hate to be interrupted in the middle of play! Start the countdown: "In 15 minutes, you'll put everything away, in 10 minutes, in 5 minutes..." Then give the high sign: "That's it, it's time for bed." Have him put on his pajamas, make sure he brushes his teeth and walk him to his room. The actual bedtime ritual can begin. Once your child is in bed: a little story, cuddles, rhymes, dialogue with the comforterYou are free to invent your own.
Have an early dinner to sleep well afterwards
When a child eats shortly before bedtime, he or she will have trouble falling asleep. At that time, his stomach will still be in full activity. It is therefore preferable to set the right time slot for dinner. To help your child fall asleep when the time comes. Eating early and at the same time every night, and then doing a little activity before the bedtime ritual can indeed be very beneficial for your child's sleep rhythm.
Favour "quiet" activities to prepare for bedtime
In order for the child to gradually understand that bedtime is approaching, it is important to gradually stop activities as well as the screens towards the end of the day.
Ideally, there should be some sort of "decompression time" between the day's activities and bedtime. This should be between the day's activities and bedtime. After a certain time (after bath time or dinner, for example), no more hide-and-seek and other games involving physical activity. The same goes for video games that keep your child excited. Instead, offer calm activities: they can designcoloring, listening to music, looking at a book, doing a puzzle...
Read a bedtime story in a magical world
This may seem rather banal, but this activity greatly favors sleep. For that, it is strongly advised to settle comfortably in the bed by creating a peaceful and calm environment so that this moment is favourable to relaxation.
The reading of a story contributes to create a privileged moment, reassuring, of softness and tenderness. The parents' voice naturally lulls the children and tends to soothe them. It is also a good way to guide the child towards his dreams. We can even invite him to use his imagination to continue the story in his sleep for example.
Talk with your child every night before bed
Just like leaving for school, bedtime is often a special time. Indeed, for working parents who do not take advantage of their children during the day, it is the moment when we can exchange. Let's take advantage of it to make it a soft, reassuring and warm moment.
Be careful, there is no question of talking about bad grades or something stupid done during the day. It is better to use this time of exchange to talk about positive subjects, which will help your child fall asleep and sleep well. You can ask your little wolf to talk about the adventures he had while you were away, about something happy that happened to him or about something he learned.
There is no point in telling him: "You have to go to sleep" and expecting him to do it right away. The entry in the sleep is done in a progressive way and not immediate. It is thus necessary to do it gently without rushing him.
Teaching children to know they are tired
A child is not necessarily able to understand the signals that his body sends him. This is especially true for emotions. Children have a hard time controlling emotions that are beyond them, such as anger or fear.
Thus, it can be interesting to teach your child to recognize the signs of fatigue, by bringing him to carry out a scan of himself for example. Stinging eyes, yawning, etc. These are signs that he must learn to recognize. So that in the long run, he will want to go to bed feeling these signs.
Getting your child to sleep: creating a sleep-friendly environment
To go to the world of dreams and sleep peacefully, it is important to have an environment conducive to sleep. All you have to do is create this little cocoon for your child by removing any source of distraction or animation such as screens or noisy games.
The child's bedroom should be rather dark with a temperature that is not too high and noise reduced to a minimum. Depending on the age of the child, you can explain the importance of sleep to him/her and, above all, set a good example.
You now have all the keys in hand to ensure that bedtime with your child is the best possible experience!
