This week, we are interested in children's sleep with Nolwenn Deschard, our Early Childhood Expert. Throughout early childhood, your child's sleep evolves. In order to better understand and anticipate your toddler's bedtime, Let's take a closer look at the activities that promote bedtime.
The moment of putting the child to bed is sometimes dreaded by parents. Between crying and screaming, the task can be complicated but there are techniques to prepare for this period and make it easier.
By creating an evening routine, children will have more cues before that dreaded time. By setting a framework with various routines, they will feel more secure. Sleeping is a time of loss of control that can be stressful and frightening.
It is best to establish this list of activities to do before bedtime with your child beforehand and stick to it as much as possible: the more you maintain the routine, the more your child will feel safe, confident and calm.
You can be inspired by these different steps:
- I brush my teeth.
- I goes to the bathroom.
- I prepare my stuff for the next day.
- I tells an anecdote from my day.
- I give a hug to my parents/brothers/sisters
- We reads me a story.
- I leaves my night light on for the night.
On the other hand, there are actions to avoid before bedtime:
- The bottle to help put the child to sleep.
- The overly stimulating activities such as hide-and-seek games...
- Do not not fill his crib/bed with toys.
- Not screens in the hour before bedtime.
- Do not make bedtime a punishment.
After turning this dreaded moment into an opportunity to share a moment with your child, let's focus on assessing the quality of their sleep.
A As a child grows, the amount of sleep he or she gets decreases, but is still important. The quality of his sleep is just as important. However, there is no need to worry about a precise number of hours to be respected in order for him to be in top shape since, in reality, each child has his own sleep cycle which he must respect. On the other hand, the signs that show that the night was not restful are common to all children:
Impulsivity, aggressiveness, regular yawning, difficulty concentrating...
To ensure a good night's sleep for the child, it will be necessary to consider the above-mentioned advice, because the period before falling asleep is once again decisive.
Propose a routine of about 15 minutes, avoid screens, and favor quieter activities. It is also necessary to watch over the food that should not be too fatty and too close to bedtime. It is advisable to space out meals and bedtime by an hour.
Finally, the environment is one of the key determining factors, since leaving too many lights and noises in the child's room could lead to sleep disorders. Dark colors and as little noise as possible should be preferred.
I hope you find these tips useful and I look forward to seeing you in the next One Week One Tip!
Nolwenn Deschard
