How to Setup a Sleep Routine for a Child
It is not as difficult to setup a sleeping routine for your child as you might think. Many of us fear that they will not get proper sleep and get dull and inactive. If you analyze their pattern and set a routine accordingly, they will follow it surely. Children like to have routines because it keeps them aware of what’s coming up and they look forward to it. It will take a little time to settle into the routine and follow it daily but it yields good results in the end.
Instructions
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1
Follow the early to bed and early to rise strategy. Devise a routine which helps your child get in bed earlier. The target is to keeping the same time daily so that the body gets used to it and after some days the child will automatically get sleepy on that time. It is important to keep the sleep time consistent so that the child doesn’t get tired or cranky. If the time changes regularly, the body will not be able to adjust.
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2
The hours of sleep needed are closely related to the age of the child. You should be aware of what is the healthy number of hours for which your child should be sleeping. For example if your toddler is two year old, he need around 12 hours of sleep. As the child grows, he/she can make do with 10 hours of sleep. If you have this information, you will be better at devising a sleeping plan.
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3
There are numerous tasks to do before getting into bed. Make a list of these things and allow time for these before sleeping. There are some musts like changing into the night suit or brushing your teeth. Other children like to have a glass of milk before sleeping or read a book, watch some cartoons. The activities before bed should be given some time.
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4
You do not need to be very strict, learn to be a little flexible with children. If your child is nagging you to read another story or give him a glass of water or just sit there before he/she falls asleep, it is ok to listen at times. May be your child has been following the routine efficiently but some days he is just not in the mood or wants relaxation so cut him some slack. It is ok to be lenient but you should know your limits too.
