How can I get my child to sleep through the night?
Everyone needs sleep. This is especially true for children.
"I cannot stress the importance of sleep enough," said Mary Horn, St. Luke's Physicians & Clinics Cedar Rapids Pediatrics nurse practitioner. "Sleep directly impacts health as well as mental and physical development in children. Each child is different in the amount of sleep needed but I would recommend that most children - from babies to adolescents - need more sleep than their parents realize."
According to Horn, young babies average 16-20 hours a day, older babies may divide this up between two naps and a 11-12 hour stretch at night. Children, even adolescents, need 10-12 hours of sleep. The best way to encourage sleep is to promote healthy habits.
"Sleeping is learned behavior," said Horn. "I recommend parents start a bedtime routine with an infant as early as six weeks or when their sleeping patterns become more predictable."
Then once that ritual is started - parents need to stick with it.
"It's best to put your baby to bed when they are sleepy, not sleeping," said Horn. "If you want them to sleep in their bed then you need to put them to sleep there. Babies need to learn to put themselves to sleep - rather than have someone rock them to sleep or by sucking on a pacifier. All of those things are cues for the child, to fall asleep, but when the baby is put in bed or the pacifier falls out they wake up."
Set a regular bedtime. Depending on the age of the child and how early they must get up, 7 or 8 p.m. is a good time. "Sometimes I'll hear parents say 'I let my child stay up later because if he's really tired he'll sleep.' Usually the opposite happens when you are too tired - you don't sleep well," said Horn.
And finally if your child is still having problems consult your doctor.
If you're looking for a doctor, call My Nurse toll-free at 877/242-8899, or log on to stlukescr.org for St. Luke's Physician Finder.
More tips for a good night rest
- Keep your baby calm and quiet when you feed or change her at night.
- Set up a quiet routine to help your child understand it's time to wind down. Give him a bath, read a book, listen to music or cuddle. Limit active play, TV, computer time and video games.
- If your child fusses or calls out after putting them to bed do not feel that you need to respond. See if he can fall back to sleep on his own.
- Allow toddlers and preschoolers to take a special item to bed like a blanket, doll or stuffed animal. Make sure the item is safe and doesn't have any buttons or ribbons, which could be a choking hazard.
- Make sure your child is comfortable and has everything he needs like a last trip to the bathroom or a drink of water before lights out.Track caffeine. A soda or a candy bar earlier in the day may have some impact on sleep.
