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p, ns no al ng n. ut al k, to Once you’ve got your child into bed, the next challenge is encouraging them to fall asleep. The time it takes to do this varies and children may use tactics to keep parents around. We’ve n d ng your child’s bed and mattress are suitable and of good quality. If children are reluctant to go to bed, then having a transitional object, such as a soft toy, to help develop sleep confidence may be helpful. all heard the excuses that suddenly they’re thirsty or need the loo. Setting a limit is important as otherwise poor habits can develop.
Don’t have electronic screens in the bedroom. They can disrupt sleep as the light they emit interferes with melatonin production. Instead, make reading your child a story part of the bedtime routine. Reading together will help your child relax and also promotes a positive relationship with you and with bedtime.
Some children are afraid of the dark and that stress can be enough to prevent them from sleeping. Installing a very dim night light or keeping the hallway light on and leaving the bedroom door slightly ajar can help overcome this. Waking up at night is normal, especially for babies who wake often to feed. However, as your child gets older, this need diminishes and they need to learn how to settle themselves back to sleep.
Whatever your approach, sleeping through the night takes time and patience. You don’t want to reinforce the behaviour too much but, at the same time, you need to provide enough reassurance for them to get back to sleep.
Good bedtime behaviour should be rewarded and reinforced, for example a star on a chart for every good night is a great way to motivate your child and reward them.
It’s tempting to put the child in bed with you, and often this does the trick to ensure both parent and child get some rest. This is fine for younger children but serious consideration must be given to co-sleeping with babies as the risk of SIDS, or cot death, can go up. In addition, it may cause problems in getting them to sleep in the longer term.
Parents often ask whether “controlled crying” works. This involves parents progressively increasing the amount of time between when their child starts crying and when they respond, and to only briefly intervene to reassure the child when they do.
This may seem controversial but research shows that it is quite effective. It isn’t suitable for children under six months and parents need to ensure that the crying isn’t due to discomfort, pain or ill health.
A balanced approach which works for both parent and child is essential. The majority of children will respond to simple behavioural management but occasionally professional help is required. A small proportion will have an underlying medical reason for poor sleep so a full assessment and possibly specialist treatment by a paediatrician may be required.
A range of medical conditions can contribute to poor sleep, from reflux to ADHD. These must be identified and treated before considering specific sleep medication. One medical treatment is using the sleep hormone melatonin.
This has to be prescribed for children and should be monitored for effectiveness. Research shows that while it doesn’t always improve the total duration of sleep, it can help children get off to sleep in the first place.
Support for parents is also vital as sleep disturbance can have a major impact on the whole family.
Organisations such as the Lullaby Trust (lullabytrust.org.uk) and Contact A Family (contact.org.uk) provide information and support.
Dr Ranj is brand ambassador for British bed manufacturer Sleepeezee. Visit sleepeezee.com for information.
ild is as active as they can be during the more likely to be tired later Good bedtime behaviour should be rewarded and reinforced – perhaps with a star chart