Teaching children to sleep alone

Il sonno It is man's first medicine. And this ancient rule of sustainable medicine is particularly valid for childrenBut the worry of making them sleep (where, according to the Italian Society of Pediatrics, one in four children does not get the hours of sleep necessary for their growth) should not push parents to be obsessive. Or overprotective. Children can learn to sleeping alone Naturally, without wasting energy, and with small steps, almost like an initiation rite. This autonomy has a double value. On the one hand, it will ensure better sleep, on the other, it will be one of the first incentives for the child to be independent. Even from parents. But let's take a closer look at the most useful tips for giving children their nighttime autonomy, starting from the most delicate and controversial place: the bed. Or rather, the Latvian, since parents and children often sleep together, up to a certain age. Is a shared bed good or bad for children? Experts have long been divided on these questions, and in any case, we can reach a compromise between the different positions. That is, avoid bad overprotective habits and enjoy the pleasure of sleeping with a child, in the same bed. but no more than three yearsBut how do you teach children to sleep alone? Here's how. 10 useful tips.

• Don't wait until they're tired to put them to bed. Better get started. to bed when it's time.
• The fixed hours It's a good habit to get your children into bed. And it encourages them to fall asleep on their own.
• Soft lights and a calm and quiet environment at home. These are stimuli for independent sleep.
• Select a ritual at bedtime. For example, the sequence of essential gestures: personal hygiene and bathing, pajamas and lavarsi i denti.
• Give them an object they can pet to feel company. A doll, a stuffed animal, a companion for the night. Beware of keeping the light on. television to make them fall asleep.
• Let a small light on, without exaggerating and only until the child falls asleep.
• Describe the day you spent in its essential parts. Curiosity encourages the child not to feel alone or neglected.
• Read on stories and fablesIt's always a foolproof method for encouraging sleep and giving children independence.
• Wish the buona note as a sign of closeness, a gesture of kindness, and a way to indicate your presence, even if not physical.
• Tell him, if he throws tantrums, or if he seems scared of being left alone, that anyway Dad and Mom are in the next room. And do it.

Children love to feel pampered, they want their parents' constant attention, they fear loneliness, and they enjoy being the center of attention. All good reasons to have little desire to sleep aloneBut this state of mind becomes pathological after a certain age, so much so that many pediatricians suggest having the child sleep alone as soon as possible. If the child, already grown, still doesn't want to sleep alone, then you should investigate. He may be insecure, suffering from insomniaHe's stressed about some unfulfilled goal, and he feels neglected. Don't think you can solve the problem without addressing it, leaving everything as if he were still a newborn. There's no specific deadline by which a child should stop sleeping in the same bed as his parents. But don't go beyond the age of three. Co-sleeping has many positive aspects, up to a certain age: after that, it becomes a way of spoiling children and undermining their pursuit of independence, which is essential for healthy growth.

Read also

• How to get a newborn to sleep
• Cosleeping: Why It's Good and When to Stop
• How to understand if a newborn is hot

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