Developing Good Sleep Habits

21 December 2010

How do I help my child develop good sleep habits?

Be sensitive to your child’s sleep needs and establish good sleep habits from the beginning. Deciding how long you should let your child cry requires sensitivity to your child’s needs, persistence and flexibility. For more information, click here.

Good Bedtime Practices

Start when your child is young. Healthy sleep is a habit, just like healthy eating habits, which are learned. The sooner you put into practice these rules, the earlier you can teach your child healthy sleeping habits and prevent many common sleeping problems.
Pay attention to signs that your child is growing tired. Putting your child to bed when she first shows signs of becoming tired may help her go to sleep with less fuss or crying. Learn to recognize certain behaviors, which signal that she is becoming tired, such as loss of interest in favorite games and toys and tendencies to become quiet and less active.
Don’t neglect naps. Naps are as critical to healthy cognitive, emotional and physical development as night sleep. Naps lead to optimal daytime alertness and can help your child sleep easier at night. As much as possible, try and stick to a consistent nap schedule every day.
Adhere to an early bedtime. Your child may have an easier time falling asleep if she goes to sleep earlier, before she has a chance to become overtired, and she may sleep later in the morning. Often, moving up a bedtime by just 20 or 30 minutes can make a difference.
Start early. Begin your bedtime routine about thirty minutes before bedtime. This will help you and your baby to relax and enjoy the winding down process.
Be consistent. Using a consistent soothing style will help your child settle down and get ready to go to sleep. You might try bathing, listening to music, reading a book, feeding, rocking, singing or massaging. Pick a style of soothing that makes you feel comfortable and stick to it. By creating consistent bedtime routines, you teach him how to soothe himself to sleep.
Say good night. After you complete your bedtime routine, say good night, close the door and walk away—even if your child cries in protest. How long you allow the protest crying to continue depends upon your own comfort level.

For more ideas, click here.