How to put a child to bed without hysterics: 7 tips for parents

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Keep track of your schedule, come up with rituals, and get a little creative.

If the parents are not persistent, the child will find a thousand and one reasons not to sleep. And then your life will turn into a waking nightmare. The following tips will help teach your little one to sleep on their own, get ready for bed, and relax faster.

1. Teach your child to fall asleep on their own

Start at an early age so that the baby quickly learns that he can calm down on his own. Here's what you need to do for this.

Lay your baby when he is really tired

Signs of fatigue: the child yawns, rubs his eyes, avoids eye contact, does not respond to toys and words. This is the best time to put him to bed. If you "overexpose" the crumb, he will be overworked and will begin to be capricious. In this state, it will be difficult to make him fall asleep - first you have to calm him down.

If the child is full of strength and energy in the evening, review his daily routine. Perhaps you put him to bed late (after 20:30), or he sleeps for more than two hours during the day. Children also refuse to rest when they lack physical activity.

Leave the child alone in the crib more often

Every child craves parental warmth and closeness, but this is not a reason to wear it all the time in your arms. Teach your baby to stay alone in the crib more often. He has to make sure it's not that bad.

Give your child a chance to calm down on his own

If the child begins to be capricious as soon as you leave him in the crib, do not rush to help him. Let him calm down on his own. If he still does not succeed, take the baby, wait until he relaxes, and put it back. He must understand that he will not sleep in his mother's arms, but in his bed.

Gradually reduce your involvement in the process of falling asleep. Each time, move away from the crib, but first so that the child sees you and knows that you are near. It is very important for him to feel safe.

2. Follow the ritual

Children love rituals: they bring a sense of stability and security, simplify life, and get rid of unnecessary emotions. The kids themselves are happy to make sure that they are respected. However, adults are not always consistent: they reorder, skip, or stretch actions too far. You can't do that! If the ritual is violated, the child experiences stress and ceases to understand its meaning.

The bedtime ritual helps you relax. Come up with a sequence of actions and follow it consistently every day. Usually it includes bathing, brushing teeth, wishing everyone a good night, and a fairy tale.

Here are some tips to help you get ready for bed:

• First, switch the apartment to night mode. Turn down the volume on your TV and speakers. Dim or turn off the overhead light, instead use a local one - a table lamp or sconce.
• Always start getting ready for bed at the same time. It doesn't matter what the show is shown and what is happening in the world. If you have arranged for 19:00, start at 19:00.
• A certain amount of time should be allocated for each action. Brushing your teeth - 5 minutes, reading a story - 10-15 minutes. Don't stretch. The smaller the child, the shorter and easier the action should be.
• Actions must always be in order.
• Some children sleep well after bathing, while others, on the contrary, are overexcited. Check what type your child is.
• Bathing should not be active. You can add soothing herbs to the bath: valerian, mint, pine needles, lavender, motherwort, lemon balm.
• The child can and will protest. Do not follow his lead.

3. Read the story in a monotonous voice

To make the child fall asleep faster, read the tale not with expression, but monotonously, as if you are entering into a trance. Stretch out the sentences, gradually slowing down the oven pace. Breathing should be smooth - pronounce the words as you exhale and pause for inhalation.

It's good if the tale is about a dream. If not, show your imagination and change the original plot: insert phrases about rest and sleepiness, yawn.

4. Use the breathing adjustment technique

In an overexcited child, breathing is rapid and shallow. A calm person is deep and slow. The parent's task is to slow down the baby's breathing so that it is easier for him to relax.

To do this, put the child to bed, put your hand on his body and synchronize his breathing with yours. Breathe in the same rhythm with your baby, gradually slowing down and deepening in and out. Noticing that you began to breathe more calmly, he will begin to repeat after you, relax and fall asleep.

5. Create a comfortable sleeping environment

The room should not be hot or cold, too light or noisy. Better if it is cool. The pillow and bedding should be soft and pleasant to the touch. There should be no mosquitoes or other insects. You can leave a night light or a garland on if the child is afraid of the dark, or buy him a soft toy with a heating pad - it will resemble mom's warmth.

6. Build a positive associative connection

Get creative and work on creating positive associations with your child's sleeping place. Decorate the bed, choose beautiful bedding, a toy that will help the baby fall asleep. If he recently experienced a nightmare and is afraid to sleep alone, make a dream catcher or come up with a ritual that scares away bad dreams. Just do not laugh at the child and do not call him a coward under any circumstances.

7. Turn off gadgets

Everyone knows about the blue light that screens emit and the violation of circadian rhythms. The children's nervous system is most susceptible to these stimuli. Do not use smartphones and tablets, even for quiet games. Let the child interact with them only during the day.

With a well-planned schedule and ideal circumstances, the child falls asleep easily on his own. However, there are times when even obedient kids are capricious and refuse to go to bed. The reasons can be different and unexpected. To understand what is wrong, be observant or ask the child directly.