Common sleep problems in children

There is a fair number of children who have problems when it is time to go to sleep and wake up during the night. In most cases this is not a problem. However, if the child is waking up tired or a parent is not getting enough sleep because of that, then it is a problem. A parent need not worry because there are tips that will help in this situation.

If the child will not go to bed

The first thing a parent must do is to decide at what time he or she wishes for his or her child to go to bed. Some 20 minutes before that time a parent should start introducing a winding down bedtime routine. The next week the time should be 15 minutes before bedtime and the week after it should be 10 minutes. That way a parent will gradually get to the time he or she wishes for the child to go to bed. It is good to know how much time a parent will spend with the child before he or she falls a sleep. For instance, a parent will read only one story. Another good tip is to give the child his or her favorite toy before falling a sleep. In cases where a child cries a parent should wait for about ten minutes before going back. A parent should also avoid picking a child up. A parent should also avoid constant checking up because he or she might wake the child up with the constant entering the room.

If a child keeps waking during the night

Children who are under the age of five have the habit of waking up during the night. Some will go straight back to sleep while other will cry. In such cases a parent should find out what is the reason for the waking up. In most cases, it is the hunger that wakes the children. Other reasons are being scared of the dark and nightmares and the temperature of the room.

When there is no obvious cause for the waking up a parent should try certain things. For instance, a scheduled waking is a good option. If the child always wakes up at the same time a parent should wake him or her up some time before that. It is good to let the child sleep in the same room with his or her brother or sister. A parent should try to teach the child to go back to sleep on his or her own after seeing that there is nothing wrong. Nightmares and night terrors are also common causes of waking up during the night.