How much sleep should my child get?

Sleep is something you have no doubt talked a lot about over the years and by now you would have hoped all will be fine, but here you are checking to see if your little one is sleeping enough.

Sleep is a biggie and can affect so many things, if they don’t sleep well, it can affect their concentration, mood, ability to learn, even their happiness, not to mention the knock-on-effect on the rest of the household. According to the NHS, 3–5-year-olds need 10 – 13 hours sleep, including naps, however it is probably unlikely your 4+ year old is napping, then from 6-12-year-olds they require 9-12 hours’ sleep. But what if your child isn’t getting enough sleep or struggles to get to sleep at night.

There are several things you can try to see if these help your tot drift off to the land of nod, but like everything, if you think there is a real problem then do seek professional help. Child won’t go to sleep I’m hungry, thirsty, I just need to do something before I go to bed – these are excuses I’m sure you have heard regularly if you have a child who is reluctant to go to sleep. Here are a few ideas you may not have tried, which may help: Is your child scared of something.

There might be a very logical reason your child doesn’t like being in their room on their own.

Try asking why they don’t want to go to bed at night as they may fear a monster under their bed, or their bed is too close to the window.

If you can identify what they fear, then you may be able to help comfort them and make them feel safe so they can relax at bedtime. Some children just can’t switch off at bedtime, when all goes quiet, their mind starts racing and this keeps them awake. Try introducing relaxation techniques which may help them unwind, this could be relaxing music, a massage, warm bath, essential oils, or meditation.

As your child gets older, it is still important to keep to a regular bedtime routine.

It may not always be possible as schedules get busy but try and keep bedtime at a similar time each night and continue with their bedtime routine to let them know it is time to switch off. Are they too hot.

Bedrooms should be slightly cooler than living rooms to help reinforce your body’s natural instinct to sleep and should be approx. 18 degrees Celsius. Your child gets up throughout the night If your little one struggles to sleep through the night without popping into your room, then here are a few things that may help: Do you let them come into bed with you? If you do then this could be the reason they get up as they just want to have more time with you.

If this is causing you issues then take your little one back to their room every time they get out, so they know this is what will happen each time. Are they cold? Their duvet or blanket may fall off in the night which can cause them to wake up.

If this happens regularly you could try a duvet which attaches to the bedsheet or use a flat sheet under their duvet which can tuck in and hopefully keep their bedding in place. Have you tried a weighted blanket.

Your little one may just want the comfort of seeing you, using a weighted blanket (do make sure you get the right weight for your child) can give them reassurance and comfort and stop them getting out of bed in the middle of the night. Lack of sleep or interrupted sleep can be difficult for the whole family. It can sometimes be hard to pinpoint the exact reason for the night-time activity.

Try talking to your child to see if they have any answers and see if any of the above can help. Also try increasing their exercise during the day, although not just before bedtime, and limit screens before bed.

It is important to try and get them to switch off naturally and help their body produce melatonin naturally, helping them (and you) get a good night’s sleep – good luck!

Source: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-much-sleep-do-kids-need.

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/

Sleep is something you have no doubt talked a lot about over the years and by now you would have hoped all will be fine...