Do you know the reasons why children do not want to sleep at night? Come and check if you have made "these" mistakes: do you know why children do not want to sleep at night? Come and check if you have made these mistakes.
Do you often encounter situations where during the day, your little one is very obedient and quiet, but at night, he becomes energetic and constantly crying, which makes you anxious. You tried all kinds of methods, but to no avail, you could only accompany him to pick up the lamp and fight at night, and the next day you were sleepy and tired. You must be trying to figure out why children don't want to sleep at night? Is there something physical discomfort in him? Or is he deliberately working against you?
In fact, the child's reluctance to sleep at night is likely because you make some common mistakes in parenting. Let's take a look at what these errors are and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Obedience to children Some parents will meet any of their children's requirements in order to let their children sleep well, such as watching TV, playing with mobile phones, eating snacks, and so on. They think it will make the child happy and then they will fall asleep peacefully.
But the opposite is true, and doing so will only make the child more excited and less likely to sleep. Moreover, this will also make the child develop a bad habit of thinking that whenever he cries, his parents will obey him. In this way, he will become willful and undisciplined.
The right thing to do: Set rules for your child
Parents should set some clear rules and bottom lines for their children, such as what time to go to bed, not to watch TV before going to bed, not to eat snacks, and so on. And stick to it, don't compromise because of your child's crying. This allows the child to understand that sleeping is a necessary thing to do, not something that can be delayed or avoided at will. Of course, when enforcing the rules, you should also pay attention to using a gentle tone and attitude, and do not use violence or threats.
Mistake two: luring children to sleep Some parents will lure their children with some rewards or punishments in order to make their children sleep faster. For example, "If you go to bed early today, I'll buy you toys tomorrow" or "If you don't go to bed early today, I won't take you to the park tomorrow."
They thought it would motivate the child to take the initiative to go to sleep. But in fact, doing so only makes children feel stressed and scared, and it can affect their natural feelings about sleeping. Moreover, this can also lead the child to develop a wrong thinking pattern that sleep is something that needs to be rewarded or punished, and will only do it when it is stimulated externally.
Do: Develop your child's interest in sleeping
Parents should try to make their children interested and curious about sleeping, rather than treating it as a burden or obligation. For example, tell your child funny bedtime stories and let them imagine their dream adventures.
Or you can prepare some comfortable sleeping environment for your child, such as soft sheets, warm lighting, quiet music and so on. This will make the child feel relaxed and happy, and will actively enjoy the process of sleeping.
Mistake three: not knowing the signal that the child is sleeping Some parents do not understand the child's sleep regularity, do not know when the child is sleepy and when to wake up. They will arrange their children's bedtime according to their habits or ideas. For example, some parents will think that the later their child goes to bed, the later he wakes up the next day, so that he can spend more time with his child.
Or some parents will think that if the child sleeps more during the day, he will not sleep at night, so it is necessary to limit the child's nap time during the day. But these are all wrong practices, because every child has their own biological clock and sleep needs, and if bedtime is not scheduled at their pace, it can disrupt their sleep cycle and cause them to have difficulty falling asleep at night.
Do: Watch your child's sleep signals
Parents should carefully watch for some of their child's sleep signals, such as yawning, rubbing eyes, becoming irritable or quiet. These are all signs that the child is sleepy and needs rest. When these signals are detected, parents should take their children to sleep in time without delaying or interrupting. This allows the child to adapt to his or her physical state and establish a stable and healthy sleep habit.
Mistake 4: Reason when children are awake Some parents will try to reason with their children when they are sleeping, telling them why they should sleep, what are the benefits of sleeping, and so on. They think that this will make the child understand and accept the need to sleep and will obey the parents' arrangement.
But in fact, this will only be counterproductive, because when the child sleeps, they are already in a state of emotion and resistance, they cannot listen to the parents, and they will feel more angry and aggrieved. Moreover, doing so can also make children feel stressed and guilty, and it can affect their trust and intimacy with their parents.
Right thing to do: Accompany your child to calm your emotions
When the child is sleeping, parents should try to avoid reasoning with the child or criticizing and accusing, but should use some gentle and considerate ways to accompany and comfort the child. For example, you can give your child a hug, a kiss, a compliment; Or talk to your child about their favorite topics and play their favorite games.
Or you can sing a song, read a book, draw a picture, etc. This will make the child feel loved and understood, and will relieve their tension and insecurity. When your child's mood stabilizes, it will be easier to fall asleep.
Continuation: Create a sleep atmosphere for your child
In addition to accompanying and calming the child's emotions, parents should also create an atmosphere suitable for sleep for the child. For example, the temperature, humidity and ventilation of the room can be adjusted to make the child feel comfortable; Or you can dim the lights in the room to make your child feel quiet; Or put on some soft music to make your child feel relaxed. This will put the child physically and mentally into a sleep-ready state and will promote their sleep quality.
Nighttime fear is a common psychological problem in children that can affect the quality of a child's sleep and emotional stability. There can be many reasons for nighttime fear, such as fear of the dark, nightmares, separation anxiety, life stress, etc. As parents, how can we help our children overcome their nighttime fears? Here are some things that might work:
Understand the source of your child's fear. Have good communication with your child and ask them what they fear at night and what is causing their fear. Try to avoid criticizing, denying, or ridiculing your child's fears, and instead offer understanding, support, and comfort. Help children recognize that their fears are normal, but can also be overcome in some ways.
Build a sense of security. Create a comfortable and safe sleeping environment for your child, such as adjusting the temperature, humidity and lighting, allowing your child to sleep in their favorite bed, and providing some soothing items such as soft toys, pillows or blankets. Give your child a hug, a kiss or a blessing before bed to make them feel loved and protected.
Distraction. Do some relaxing and fun activities with your child before going to bed, such as reading, listening to music, playing games, etc., so that they forget their fears and divert their attention. Avoid exposing your child to content that may cause fear or anxiety, such as violence, horror, or sad movies, books, or news.
Step by step to face the darkness. If the child is afraid of the dark, do not force them to turn off the lights to sleep, but gradually adapt them to the darkness. You can first let your child sleep with the night light or hallway light, and then gradually reduce the brightness or time of the light until finally the light is turned off completely. You can also play some games in the dark with your children, such as treasure hunting, guessing puzzles, etc., so that they can discover that there is also fun in the dark.
Change the content of the nightmare. If your child has frequent nightmares, imagine a good dream with them or change the content of the nightmare to something positive. For example, if children dream of being chased by monsters, they can imagine that they have superpowers and can defeat monsters or run away. It can also allow children to draw pictures of nightmares and beautiful dreams, enhancing their sense of control over dreams.
Maintain a regular routine. Get your child up and go to bed on time each day and avoid napping too long or too late. Let the child participate in some moderate physical activities during the day, consume excess energy, and improve physical fitness. Avoid giving your child sugary, caffeine, or irritating foods at night to avoid affecting their sleep quality.
Sleep is an important guarantee for children's physical and mental health, but many children have problems such as lack of sleep, irregularity, and instability, which affect their growth and development. As parents, how should we cultivate good sleep habits in our children? Here are some things that might work:
Set a reasonable sleep schedule. Set appropriate bedtimes and wake-up times for your children according to their age and needs to ensure they get enough sleep each day. Generally speaking, newborns need 20~22 hours of sleep, 2-month-old babies need 16~18 hours, 4-month-old babies need 15~16 hours, and so on. On weekdays and weekends, try to maintain a regular schedule to avoid disrupting your child's biological clock.
Establish a regular bedtime routine. Before your child goes to bed, arrange some fixed, simple, and relaxing activities, such as bathing, changing clothes, brushing teeth, reading, listening to music, etc., so that the child can gradually fall asleep. Avoid letting children do things that are too exciting, exciting, or nervous, such as playing video games, watching horror movies, arguing, etc., so as not to affect their sleep.
Create a comfortable sleeping environment. Provide a quiet, clean, warm and comfortable bedroom for your child, adjust the temperature, humidity and lighting in the room, so that your child feels relaxed and safe. Children can be given sleep-friendly items such as pillows, blankets, toys, etc., so that they feel a sense of belonging and security. Avoid placing any electronic devices in the bedroom that may disturb or attract your child's attention, such as TVs, computers, mobile phones, etc.
Develop the ability to fall asleep independently. Do not let children develop the habit of relying on parents or other external factors to fall asleep, such as milk sleep, cuddling, shaking, etc. These habits can cause children to lose their ability to fall asleep and receive sleep on their own, and can lead to frequent awakenings during the night. When children are sleepy, they should be put into their own bed in time to let them fall asleep on their own. If your child cries or wakes up while falling asleep, they can be comforted or coaxed appropriately, but do not interfere or interfere too much.
Pay attention to diet and exercise. During the day, ensure that the child has enough time for sports and outdoor activities, consume excess energy, and improve physical fitness and immunity. Avoid giving your child too much or too oily food at night, especially foods and drinks that contain caffeine or irritation, so as not to affect their sleep quality. If your child is hungry at night, you can give them some warm milk or eat some fruit, etc., to supplement nutrition and hydration.
The above is the paragraph I wrote to make children develop good sleep habits, the number of words is about 600 words. Hope this helps. If you have other questions or ideas about parenting, welcome to share them in the comment area. You are also welcome to follow our public account to get more interesting and practical parenting knowledge. Have a great night out for you and your kids!