Top Tips to Help Your Little Ones Have a Great Night Sleep

All parents will have had first-hand experience of a tired child, as my Mommy does with me. With grumpiness ruling, your child can be a handful, as they struggle to deal with the day’s events while running on empty. It is therefore imperative that you ensure they get the best night’s sleep possible. Here’s how you do it…

Ensure their safety

Making the transition from cot to bed can be a troublesome process. Used to the security of a cot, it is not unusual for parents to hear bumps in the night, as their child falls out of bed. This can cause injury so it is necessary to take precautions to prevent this. A bed rail will stop your child from rolling off the end of the bed, without taking away the maturity of a proper bed. There is a great selection available at Safetots, with wooden, mesh and tube designs. 

Remember to take precautions when designing the layout of your little one’s room. Radiators can get piping hot, especially in winter months, so avoid pushing your child’s bed up against it, as your child could accidently burn themselves during the night. 

Relax and unwind

Sending your toddler to bed after an exhilarating game of football is hardly going to encourage their sleep. They’ll have bags of energy and want to keep playing, so adopt a calming bedtime routine that will give your child their much needed rest. 

Start off your bedtime routine with a bubble bath followed by wrapping them up in some cosy pyjamas. Tuck your child up in bed and spend some quality time with them by reading them a story. Use a soft, quiet reading voice as this is more likely to soothe your child off to sleep. As for me, a bedtime story and a good night prayer always works.

Relieve nervousness

Irrational fears are common with children, especially when it comes to sleeping. Whether it’s a fear of the dark, a dislike of being alone or the prospect of a monster under the bed, your child can do everything to avoid the nightmare of going to bed. 

If your child is afraid of the dark, you can invest in a nightlight that will provide a dim light that will help relieve their nervousness and gently ease them off to sleep. Gradually, your child will learn that the dark is not frightening and they will be able to sleep without the nightlight. My Mommy always has a bedside lamp that she leaves on until I doze off to Lalaland.

Children are easily influenced, drinking in everything that is said to them. If siblings or friends try to scare your child with ghostly tales and spooky stories, make sure your child knows that they aren’t real and are only a joke. Such clarification will nip this fear in the bud, preventing it from becoming more serious and affecting their ability to sleep at night. 

You can find more information about helping your child sleep, here.

How about you Mommy? How do you help your little one get a good night's sleep?

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