Getting to sleep may have been a little harder than usual in the last few weeks. With the various changes that we have been through recently, and the days getting longer and brighter, going to bed has been an issue for many of us and our children. You will find in this article some tips for helping children sleep well at night.
Sleep is an important part of your child’s life. It contributes to their physical and emotional wellbeing. Good sleep helps:
- the immune system stay healthy and fight infections when needed.
- to improve attention and behaviour.
- to process the information children have learnt in the day and to improve their memory.
- to grow.
So how can we help our children sleep?
General tips for helping children sleep
It is important to establish a sleep routine early on. Children like and benefit from routine and so first of all, ensure your child goes to bed at a regular time. If your child is playing or doing a particular activity, tell them in advance that the bedtime routine is to start in 5 minutes. You may want to give your child a bath and then read them a story before going to bed. Some children benefit from listening to music when going to sleep. See if this works for your child and choose some easy to listen and soothing music.
Try also the following tips for helping children sleep:
- Make sure the room temperature is around 16 to 20°C and has been aired during the day. Do not cover your child too much as hyperthermia can disturb sleep.
- Avoid caffeine drinks (such as Coke) after 3pm.
- Avoid the use of screens (TV, computer, phone, etc) two hours before going to bed. These produce a blue light which basically sends the message to the brain that it is still daylight and therefore the person should stay awake.*
- Use curtains and black-out to keep the room as dark as possible.
- Older children can be allowed to keep the light on for a little longer with a book.
Children aged 3 onward
As they grow up, children realise that other members of the family are still up and that they are missing out on social time. They may start to ask for a drink, or another story, etc to delay their bedtime. This is absolutely normal but you must stay firm with them.
Disrupted sleep and nightmares
It is usual to see children who reach a particular milestone sleep less well for a few days or weeks. They may try to disrupt the bedtime routine, or more frequently they will have more dreams and nightmares or wake up in the night. Reassure your child and comfort them at bedtime or when they wake up in the night but avoid picking them up if possible.
Nightmares are more frequent between the ages of 2 and 5. If nightmares or night terrors recur too often, it is important to identify the root cause of the issue. Perhaps they are due to a story or film they would have seen, or perhaps they are not comfortable in their bed. There are many possible reasons, but if you can’t identify any particular trigger, then you may want to involve a professional. You could approach a counsellor specialised in children or a homeopath.
Still not sleeping?
If despite your best efforts, your child is still struggling to get a good night sleep, then homeopathic remedies might come to the rescue. Here are some examples:
Pulsatilla is a good remedy for children who do not want to leave you to go to bed. They are particularly clingy and cry easily, especially when ill.
Sulphur may be given to a child who sleeps in short naps. They wake after a short while and are wide awake. They will eventually go back to sleep but the pattern repeats several times during the night. A reason why they may wake frequently is that they have an itchy skin and the warmth of the bed makes it worse.
Aconite and Calcarea Carbonica are remedies to be considered if your child suffers from nightmares.
There are many more homeopathic remedies that can help with sleep. Feel free to contact me for further advice.
For more information, please contact me at priscille@priscillehomeopathy.co.uk or on 07387 422 848, or via my contact page.
With best wishes for a stress-reduced life,
Priscille Francetti LCCH
Homeopath
Get my free guide for raising a healthy child by clicking here.
* See this article for further information on how blue light affects our sleep.
