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Struggling with a toddler who insists on sharing your bed, or a cranky, tired teenager? Here are five things you need to know about your child and sleep.
Co-sleeping: breaking the pattern
The first step in getting your child to sleep through the night is to get them to get used to sleeping in their own bed. Follow a predictable bedtime routine and then sit with them for a few minutes while they settle. A clever trick is to move your chair
closer to the door every night for a few nights to eventually let them settle on their own.
Beware of overstimulation
Many new parents fall into the trap of hanging a colourful rotating mobile above the crib, but the movement and bright
colours can be a distraction. It’s also not just babies that can be overstimulated at bedtime. Too many toys in an older
child’s bed or playing with electronic gadgets before bedtime can be just as distracting.
Establish a bedtime routine
A calming and predictable bedtime routine is very important for all children. We often drop the bath-book-cuddle routine
when they’re no longer babies, but all children benefit from a predictable winding-down period at the end of the day. For older
children it might be a bath, changing into their pyjamas and reading a book with a fixed time for lights-out.
Lights out!
The price we pay for living a fully wired life is difficulty falling asleep and sleeping well. The main culprit is cognitive
stimulation – the brain revving up when it should be winding down before bedtime. The answer is no screen time two
hours before going to bed and removing all electronic devices from your child’s bedroom.
Good to know
Most teens need nine to 10 hours of sleep a night to function optimally. Try to stick to a daily bed and wake-up time, following
it as closely as possible on weekends. Help them to establish a wind-down routine – doing the same thing in the same order
an hour or two before bedtime – like taking a shower and reading a book. 
