Sleep is essential for children's growthAnd to protect it, it's important not to waste their rest, for example with electronic devices. In bed, no smartphones, tablets, or video games. And plenty of routine: from regular hours to some healthy habits, for example, helping children, when they are small, fall asleep with the classic tales or at least with some story, even an invented one.
Children need about 10 hours of sleep And for them, melatonin production is essential to ensure a healthy sleep-wake cycle and a truly restful night's sleep. And if they're acting up at bedtime, the best thing to do is to warn them ahead of time with a ritual phrase ("We're going to sleep in ten minutes"); try to entice them with a suggestion ("Now I'll tell you a nice story") or with a few more cuddles than usual.
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How to get babies to sleep
Ma how to put children to bed, avoiding tantrums and arguments? And How do you help their sleep? Here 5 tips, very simple and equally effective.
- No lights and no tablets. The room should be dark to encourage children to sleep well. It's a serious mistake to leave a few lights on, perhaps to feel reassured. A study by the University of Colorado in the United States has shown, for example, that exposure to electric light in children between the ages of 3 and 5 completely suppresses the production of melatonin, an essential substance for good sleep. The same goes for tablets, which cannot replace the proper use of stories, or any electrical device. They must be turned off, and this commandment also includes the lights in the hallway. The child must have the feeling of a home where bedtime has arrived.
- Regular hours. A consistent bedtime, between 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM, is very important for ensuring children's consistent sleep. If you can't achieve this immediately, do it gradually: try to approach the goal day by day, perhaps moving the clocks forward just a few minutes. Eventually, your child will become accustomed to going to bed at the same time. And avoid over-exciting them before putting them to bed. The transition from crib to bed should also be made gradually and at the right time. Don't overdo it with stuffed animals; a child's bed isn't a playground.
- If he calls you, answer. Avoid the torture of crying at night and excessive discipline, especially until the child has established a regular routine. If he calls, answer. Reassure him, let him know you're close, and never give him the feeling of abandonment. If you deem it necessary, let him sleep in his parents' bed for a while, as long as it doesn't become an unbreakable habit. Instead, take some precautions for the moods More frequent at night. First: don't overdo it with the pacifier; it can become a habit that's difficult to break. Second: if the child has had a bad dream, give him the time and opportunity to share it. Then, reassure him by sharing one of your own, explaining how you overcame the fear.
- Falling asleep alone. The sooner children learn to fall asleep on their own, without any help, the better it is for everyone. But even then, it's important to proceed gradually and without anxiety. Never, for example, yell at a child who's having a tantrum trying to go to sleep; you risk setting off a vicious cycle of crying and screaming. Bedtime stories, fairy tales, and even a few short bedtime stories are excellent. These are old methods, learned from our grandmothers, but they're still foolproof.
- A day on the move. A sedentary lifestyle during the day negatively impacts children's activity at night. Children need to be stimulated, they need to be active. move, even freely, tire themselves out in a productive way for their body and mind. At that point, you'll see that they'll happily go to bed, and perhaps even anticipate it: with a simple yawn, they'll let you know they want to go to bed. To sleep.
What to do if the child doesn't sleep at night?
There are children who, despite our best efforts, sleep poorly, have difficulty falling asleep, or wake up frequently. What should we do? First, check the room and make sure the child is neither hot nor cold. The ideal temperature is between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. Second, there could be psychological factors that need to be investigated: the child is stressed, feels looming deadlines (for example, starting kindergarten or elementary school), or has nightmares. Or perhaps separation anxiety. Health problems can also negatively impact children's sleep: pain in the ears, a slight fever, a toothache, or simply teething. Finally, bad habits that negatively impact sleep. When the child goes to bed too late and is too tired. Or when he wakes up too late in the morning.
What to give children to help them sleep?
In general, it is preferable not to accustom children to taking something to help them sleep. In some exceptions, but only for limited periods and in the case of specific episodes (the child wakes up with a start following a nightmare), a very low dose of melatonin or a herbal tea can be used. chamomileThe most effective remedies remain those of grandmothers: a few caresses, a few cuddles and reading a story.
What to do if the child doesn't want to take his afternoon nap?
Afternoon naps are very important for young children, at least up to the age of three or four. In both winter and summer. During the winter months, it's a good idea to work with the nursery teachers to instill this good habit in your child. In the summer, the day at the beach should start early (not at the adult time), and then, once home, they go to bed to rest. nap For children, it doesn't solve their insomnia problems, if they exist, and it shouldn't last too long, but rather become a healthy habit lasting a few hours.
How to Relax Children Before Falling Away
Children can be very excited before bed. They're tired, but still want to stay up. They crave your company. They worry they'll miss something by closing their eyes to sleep. What can you do? It can be helpful to come up with something that helps them relax before bed.
- The first and most effective remedy remains that of read stories and fairy tales. Or even relax them with a story of yours.
- Even the classic puppet can be your collaborator at this stage of the day.
- A touch of music, at low volume, can be helpful. As long as it doesn't become a habit.
- Avoid TV and any electronic devices. They have the opposite effect on relaxation.
- Don't invent complicated things, like night yoga or the (useless, in this case) use of essential oils.
How to get children to sleep in the summer
During the summer, children suffer greatly from the heat in the evenings and have difficulty falling asleep. What can you do? Some solutions include:
- Ventilate the room well, avoiding the use of it as much as possible. of the air conditioning.
- Make sure their dinner is light.
- Wear pajamas made of natural, breathable materials, such as cotton and linen.
- Create dark conditions in the room.
- Avoid evening excitement: exciting games, excessive physical activity, movies, screens, and video games.
Children's sleep difficulties
According to studies of the Italian Society of Pediatrics Four out of ten children sleep poorly and little. Compared to a hundred years ago, children sleep, on average, two hours less per day. The causes of childhood insomnia? Increased artificial light and the use of television and electronic devices, even in bed. Sixty-five percent of children between the ages of 3 and 4 use a tablet or computer in bed; the percentage rises to 79 percent for children between the ages of 10 and 13.
How to Put Your Baby to Sleep Using the Montessori Method
The Montessori method offers some useful tips for helping babies fall asleep without forcing them.
- Make yourself heard with kindness, in a low voice and without the illusion of being decisive
- Don't overdo the activities and stimuli during the day
- Make sure your newborn follows a regular sleep-wake rhythm.
- It can sleep in the big bed, with you, at least until he or she reaches one year of age
- If he calls at night, go to him and try to understand why he woke up.
- Don't give the pacifier at the first tear
- During the day, let him play alone too.
- The baby must go to bed with a ritual: at the same time, and perhaps with a nice lullaby and a few cuddles.
- If he wakes up because he had a bad dream, reassure him and tell him that you too had the same experience.
Read also:
- What do fairy tales teach us?
- How to read fairy tales to children
- What to do if children tell lies
- Teaching children to sleep alone
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