Sleep school or something else? Five tips for a better night’s sleep for the whole family. Interrupted or poorly slept nights are almost invariably a feature of families with children – either briefly or, in the worst cases, long and repeatedly. A toddler may be kept awake by stomach aches due to diet, the coming of teeth or a sudden change in circadian rhythm. Some babies may also wake up crying for their parents when they feel unsafe.
Sleep help from sleep school
Often children’s sleep problems are harmless, but when the problem persists for a long time and the parents’ resources become overstretched, the family may need outside support. It is therefore a good idea to contact a clinic early on, before the situation has gone on for too long.
Babies’ night and day rhythms usually settle down by the age of three months, and by the age of six months babies are usually sleeping for 6-8 hours at a time. However, if this is not the case and frequent wakefulness persists, you can try sleep school with a child aged 0.5-2 years to improve your baby’s or toddler’s sleep. In sleep school, parents are instructed on how to get the child back to a normal sleep pattern. Concrete advice and tools can be obtained from a child health clinic or private doctor’s surgery, provided that you first rule out the possibility of a medical condition that interferes with the quality or quantity of sleep.
There are many types of sleep schools. Some families rely on the pacifying technique, others sleep on a mattress next to the child’s bed for a while, and others use the tuck-in method – it’s always worth talking to a professional, searching online and finding the right method for your family. The aim of sleep school is to improve the child’s day and night rhythm, which will result in peace with sleep for the whole family.
Five easy ways to improve sleep at night
From an early age, it’s worth getting your baby into a routine that repeats itself every night at bedtime. This way, your baby will gradually begin to understand cause and effect – after a hearty supper and cuddles, it’s time for bed. These tips will help you get a better night’s sleep.
- Keep your child’s bedroom stimuli to a minimum – so forget bed mobiles, special nightlights and flashy sheets. The duller and more restful the room, the more sleep-inducing the effect.
- Ventilate your child’s room properly before bedtime.
- In a dark room, your child understands better that it’s night time and time to go to sleep. So invest in blackout curtains.
- Give your child, for example, a sleeping mat, a pacifier or something else that provides security, if these have become an important part of calming down.
- Be kind to yourself and your child. Sleep school, and routines, take determination, time and repetition. When tired, many things seem more complicated than they really are.
Read more on the Children’s Mehiläinen website.
