8 Tips for consistent night sleep for Children -Sleep Guide III

Sleep…Zzzzzzz……! Here I come to help toddlers/kids sleep through night! How to get a restless toddler to sleep? How to put a child to sleep fast? What foods may help toddler sleep? How to get consistent night sleep for Children?

The world is buzzing, searching for the answers to make these sweethearts have a good sleep. While we are searching, the answer lies within us, within our boundaries only. It comes as a matter of “awareness” to ensure peaceful nights both for parents & children. My I, II & III Sleep guides on Helping kids inducing good sleep can be perfect for you, with nearly no medications & no rigorous task to opt from. It’s been a lack of realization from our, parents end, on many aspects, which created a non-sleepy story. But yes parents, lack of sleep has lots of adverse impacts on children than adults, read here

Here comes part III –

Tips for a great Night sleep for children :

Night sleep for children
Have a Good night!

1. Disciplined Bedtime:

Don’t think discipline and toddlers / children repel each other. It is what we ought to set them into, for their own benefits in long term. Here, let’s be really strict & build a proper bedtime routine to be followed daily, without any compromise.

“I’ve often heard that – Kids get a great routine once they start schooling, be it playgroup only. The reason is very simple, they get bound by a schedule which has to be followed & slowly their bodies & minds adapt to it. The same approach has to be implemented when infants (post 3 months)/ toddlers/kids are at home”.

 A) Fix the sleep time:

Let it not be later than 8:30pm daily. It has been shared immensely by many sleep specialists that “Kids going to bed after 9pm have more instances of night wakings, less overall sleep & usually take more time to sleep. Even they get laden with emotional tantrums  by then.”

B) Begin the run to sleep atleast an hour before the final sleep time. For a good night sleep for children, they should fall in that momentum well ahead of the slated sleep time.

C) Let the gadget/video time get over before dinner time. Also ensure that the energetic plays have also been put to an halt well before so that a child gets enough time to calm down before sleeping. Incase you’ve tapped on to the evening garden time, make sure you return back & feed your child well ahead of his scheduled nap.

D) Get the ambience done:

Lights should be switched off or dimmed, in case your bunny bee is terrified of darkness. Pull off the curtains & set the room temperature at 25-28degrees, perfect for a calm sleep.

E) Let your kids have a night bath with normal temperature water & acknowledge the fact that “sleep time is about to begin”.

F) Clothing: Ensure organic/soft cotton clothes are up on the child’s body in the night. They impart a soothing texture & don’t provoke itching.

G) Stories

Don’t know what to do if gadget & garden time are over post dinner? Why not have a story telling & rhyme session? Kids love listening stories & singing rhymes. Read out the story books to them, they get fascinated with the characters. And above all, these activities are relaxing, have calming effect on children & creates a great aura of night sleep for children.

H) Cuddle up:

Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kids, they all love the warmth of parents, especially mothers. So, why not have this hour of peace just for both of you? Cuddle him up & then share stories & rhymes with a sing along session:). “This is what I do & love the most. It is the best time of my whole day”.

I) Let that favourite cuddling toy find the space: “My kid loves his little piggy & shares his pillow with it:). He cuddles to me & makes piggy cuddle him. Its a 3-way cuddling, lol! But it gives him a very peaceful sleep & once I’m off the bed he hugs onto his piggy for most of the time”. Hugging a stuffed toy or soft blanket gives kids a sense of security. So, do try out cuddling your child’s favourite for the bed time.

Ensuring all these points as a daily bed time ritual, definitely will impact a kids psychology, entail a sense of discipline & nurture a beautiful growth you’ll be happy to see! And yes a great night sleep for children is an additional plus!

2. Food:

Diet & foods play a very important role in getting a good night sleep. Why not catch on some great food combinations, helping kids have a good sleep? Read hereFurther, do ensure that dinner time should neither be too heavy nor a child should sleep empty stomach. Both these scenarios trigger a poor sleep, so have a perfect balance. Also dinner time should be atleast an hour, if not 2hours, before the bed time.

3. Sleep issues in specific months:

Sometimes kids have sleep issues in certain specific moths, like in Feb – early April & then in July – August. Those are the time when there are ample allergens in the environment. They in turn cause itching, rashes, overheating like issues which hamper kids sleep. Also mosquito season is painful for a good sleep. So get you kid tested for any allergies & let him have a cool, organic, loose clothing for sleep. Also try applying some “Mosquito cream” if you kids seems to be affected by them.

4. Breastfeeding Baby:

Diet of mother impacts a child’s sleep a lot till he/she is mostly on BF (till 6months or so). Moms, try to have a less spicy, light but nutritious food & ample of liquids & green veggies for a non-gassy / non colic baby. Try to avoid foods which cause stomach upset to your little one. This will in turn help your baby a good comfortable night sleep.

5. Exercise & ample physical activity:

It is not feasible to bind kid inside the house for all the time he is awake. Also, it is a must habit from start to have ample physical activity. They not only help in muscle development & growth, but also helps kids get more social & a better sleep. Let them laugh, let them get dirty in mud & get ample sunshine. Allow them to be what they are for some time in a day. All of this will help them grow & develop a lot better!

6. Adaptation:

From being infant till 3years, a child develops on a great spree. From sleeping while being breastfed, to napping while being rocked, to his own cot (initially with mom/dad) & finally on his own on bed takes ample time. Any change in the habit takes an emotional toll on a child for first 10-15days. Believe, this isn’t easy for them. So, let them have this change in a very gradual & warm manner. If you are trying to get your child to sleep without being rocked in rocker, try explaining him the reason. Be as close to him as possible & assure him that you are there for him anytime in the night.

New sleep habits will have to be taught slowly & you’ll be happy to see the adaptation in a happy way post few days of struggle. Remember “Don’t give up”. No one wants lot of changes in life & for kids these small changes are very big for them to handle.

If all of the above stated options did not work for a peaceful night, try opting for below 2 strategies for a good sleep –

7. Protein + Coconut Oil:

This was suggested by a sleep specialist I met a year ago. It is said that proteins when mixed with fat as coconut oil work really good for a persistent night sleep. Such combination in night, doesn’t lets kids feel hungry while sleeping. You can try out peanut butter + Coconut oil or try adding some coconut oil to beans or sprouts you offer. You can also offer tofu sandwich with coconut oil or try out any good protein combination to work for you. Do consult your paediatrician as well.

8. Magnesium:

Magnesium besides having numerous benefits acts as a great muscle relaxant. It is a super de-stressing mineral which can help you have a great tight sleep at night. So let kids not drain it up by giving them editions of coffee, sugars, cold drinks, salt. Let them have magnesium rich foods as cashews, almonds, tofu, soybeans, beans, parsley etc. Also you can rub magnesium oil on your kids tummy after giving him night bath. Post application, it gets absorbed in the skin & begins to show its impact as relaxant & gives really a very good sleep. This can be tried with moms & dads you too:).

So, are you happy to get those tips for a great sleep? Leave your comment & share if something else worked for you.

Have a Great Night sleep for children!

Jhilmil

Quest to live the life surrounded with the charming little bundle's of joy. When they speak, I sing, When they smile, I rejoice , When they hug, I hold them never to lose, Such is my passion for these Gifts of God.This love urged me to navigate separately from my Travel Blog & establish an "All-In-One" Blog for budding mothers. Mum's have multi-tasked this world ,with all her professional commitments , she still makes an extra effort to be a loving, caring and be an intellectual mommy! Cheers, for me too come from the same fraternity, post having a superb academics & close to 8 years of professional experience and blessed with a little one "who has indeed changed my life from Autumn to Spring";)

This Post Has 48 Comments

  1. Inez

    This is so informative and helpful. I’m going to try the coconut oil!

  2. Judy

    Hey have tried most of these but my little one is very reluctant to sleep. He is awake till midnight and even in day time he wants to play and be at naughtiest best! Please advise.

    1. Jhilmil

      Oh, no they need to be on bed much before midnight! That’s great he wanna get all your time to play but try fixing up the routine as suggested & also try out some foods in combination -https://www.mommyinme.com/16-foods-inducing-child-sleep-better/ . We have to religiously follow the routine. As far as for me, I try to maintain it 6 days a week except Fridays;) & it has worked out great!

  3. Preeti Chauhan

    Breastfeeding and a routine is what helps the most from my experience .

  4. Tina Basu

    My son’s a great sleeper right from the start. Has been sleeping through out the night since his second month

  5. mossicoast

    so helpful and insightful, i personally love coconut oil, so i’ll go ahead and try it.

    1. Jhilmil

      Yes, do It! Thanks for finding it useful!

  6. Anosa

    I don’t have kids but I know my brother and sil could use these tips for my nephew.

  7. Chemady

    When I start having my kids, I will put those tips into practice. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Jhilmil

      Yea, doing it from the start helps a mom so much!

  8. Manohar Mathi

    Very good tips to mom’s for letting their children sleep in the night..will share with my sissy

  9. J. Ivy Boyter

    Early bedtimes are a must in this house. I realized that both my kids got really cranky at about 6 pm (it was our “witching hour”). When I stopped trying to keep them awake later, they quickly became great sleepers!!

  10. littleprinceleopold

    Great advice!! We try to stick to a regular sleep routine and it works pretty well for us!

  11. kayla8642

    Great tips! When my little guy spends the whole day outside getting dirty…we all seem to get a good nights rest! 🙂

  12. deepagandhi

    Both my girls used to hear bed time stories and otherwise they were good sleepers. This is a great list for mothers and surely helpful for new moms.

  13. asoulwindow

    Many of my friends who have kids go through this issue. Sharing this blog with them.

  14. thetaylor411

    I haven’t heard of protein and coconut oil before. I need to try some of these tips. We haven’t had a good nights sleep in two years.

  15. elenasts

    These are great tips and I use most of them when I take care of my brothers children. They usually sleep tight since they get tired from running out in the yard all day long.

  16. Gina

    I’m definitely trying these tips on my kid bro I just pray its works cause this kid cries and doesn’t want to sleep when it’s his bedtime

  17. Simply Mom Bailey

    I just can’t help but respond that there are inaccuracies in this post and that breastfeeding parents don’t need to avoid any foods or spices. Its outdated information and not inline with major breastfeeding advocates particular the well researched KellyMom.com.

  18. audriaallred

    still working on this, so i am loving all the helpful tips! thankyou.

  19. anamika

    Very helpful tips for new moms 🙂 I will diffidently tweet this post 🙂

    1. Jhilmil

      Thanks Anamika! Appreciate your effort!

  20. Anna Barton

    The bedtime routine has been the most important thing for us. The babies go in by 7, the older kids by 8.

  21. cfaulkner2411

    My 3 year old is starting to get better at sleeping, but only since we implemented a strict routine. I never really thought about coconut oil helping him to sleep. We may need to give that a go! Thanks for the read!

    1. Jhilmil

      Try things in combination.. but you’ll have to be really strict on routine!

  22. Working Mum

    The routine and being consistent has always worked well for us. The two boys share a room nicely and thankfully the baby girl is a much better sleeper than her brother’s were! Good tips, thanks 🙂

    1. Jhilmil

      Wow, that’s great! Its must for kids

  23. Surfingandsequins

    7 and 8 are totally new to me after way too many years of bedtimes 🙂 Great article.

    1. Jhilmil

      Yea I love bed time stories a lot:)

  24. PrettyMummaSays

    Great writeup! I struggle everyday to put my daughter to sleep on time but she is just too distracted. I hope I am able to set her schedule soon enough.

    1. Jhilmil

      Don’t worry, things settle down slowly, set a disciplined routine & follow it, it shall for sure help you out

  25. ohmummymia

    very informative and helpful post! we are still learning:D our son has some routine but he can’t sleep alone

    1. Jhilmil

      Don’t worry, kids gradually develop that habit once they get comfortable without mamma:)

  26. kemkem

    I think number A is so important. Routinely, my nephew will tell his mom it’s time for bed because he’s so used to it! :-). Good post.

  27. Shubha Juyal

    Wow.. this article is such an it help! I absolutely agree with giving food early and cut off time to bed being 2030
    at night… ????

  28. Natasha

    Great piece , I took my son for drive before bed sometimes worked every time !!

  29. abhinav

    Helpful for many parents. All points are relevant and I believe that there are patterns that children follow and as parents it is important to know it and follow what works.

  30. Kirti Arora

    Great tips.. fixed bedtime and ambiance is a must for kids.

  31. imladychi

    Nice post. I am sooo glad my baby loves her beauty sleep. But i am afraid I might have a little sleep walker and sleep talker! When she falls alseep, she replays almost everything we played, we sang the whole day. when she finally settles down, its 6 a.m. But she wakes up energized and fresh, me on the other hand…

  32. Alex

    This is very helpful! Thank you for all the tips. I’ll keep them for the future 😉

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