Being a parent is never easy. One can’t deny the joys and feelings of wonder when you finally meet your unborn child but raising one is another story. It will definitely bring out the best and worst for you but it does not mean you can neglect your parental responsibilities to your child. Aside from providing for their needs and being there for them all the time, you must also raise them to be the best version of themselves and that involves instilling lifelong values that would serve them well in their lifetime. You must not only teach them the type of life they should live but also emulate this way of life in your daily life.
It all starts with taking care of themselves. They should learn to eat right and live healthily while growing up. Sleep is likewise crucial to help them be always in their best form so that they are ready for everything that life throws at them. While diet and exercise are excellent health-boosters, you can’t just discredit sleep because it also plays a major role in being healthy and in tip-top shape. Sleep restores the body and gives it the energy it needs to last one more day, each day at a time. Aside from that, it also serves as a temporary reprieve from all the hassles of life. Allowing you to forget for a while your daily worries and give you the chance to start fresh at the dawn of a new day. Kids should see life that way too because they should develop good habits at a young age and sleeping is one of that.
Setting a regular routine
There are other less unusual approaches to improving children’s sleep.
The NHS advises parents to ensure regular bedtimes and routines.
It suggests a bath before bed and then reading a story, in a room that’s not too brightly lit.
Computers, mobile phones and televisions should all be switched off, as they can all disrupt going to sleep.
If you are running out of ideas, try these rather unconventional measures to lull your child to sleep. It may raise the eyebrows of some but just by reading them, you can see how effective they may be even to adults who have a hard time sleeping, what more to children who resists sleep and will try their best to make you change your mind to of forcing them to head off dreamland when they still have other things in mind.
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Watch a video of a crossword puzzle tournament
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Listen to an hour-long recording of people yawning
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Running a vacuum cleaner
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Watch a slow-motion film about sheep grazing
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Inventing an imaginary figure, like “The 8 o’clock man”, who catches any children still awake after 8pm
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Lying the child on the parent’s chest, and the parent slowly spinning in a circle
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Putting them in the car and driving
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Humming the national anthem
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Turning the child’s bed the other way round
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Putting a ticking clock under the child’s pillow, to mimic the mother’s heartbeat
- Putting an item of clothing that smells of the mother in the child’s bed
(Via: http://www.bbc.com/news/education-42554448)
Kids can grow up well, strong, and healthy if they get the recommended eight hours of sleep each night. Don’t let your child get away with an addictive hobby by setting nightly routines that they should stick to, so they don’t miss out on their normal developmental stages and be able to make the most of their day if they have the energy that can help them last the entire day without succumbing to daytime sleepiness that is the hallmark of sleep deprivation in both young and old people.
Give yourself a tech curfew
This doesn’t just apply to kids. Turn off any and all tech devices at least 60 minutes (preferably 90 minutes) before bed, McGinn says.
“The bright screen essentially tells your brain to turn off the sleep switch and tricks it into thinking you need to be awake. This, in turn, suppresses melatonin production and increases cortisol and adrenaline,” she says.
(Via: https://globalnews.ca/news/3971179/fast-sleep-tips/)
No matter what happens, stick to your kid’s sleeping routine. There may be instances when you may need to change your child’s sleeping pattern such as during special occasions or holidays but help them get back on track as soon as you can so they don’t suffer from a permanent damage like completely altering their sleeping pattern for good. Even fussy sleepers don’t stand a chance if you observe positive sleeping habits as their body becomes familiar with the routine over time that it becomes second nature to them to stick to that habit even without outside help. However, it can also be that your child is losing sleep because of a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is common among younger kids as it is often caused by a congenital anomaly. If surgery can be prevented but CPAP isn’t exactly what you had in mind for your fussy child, https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution and https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx are good alternatives as they are convenient anti-snoring mouthpieces that helps them sleep better by opening up their airway in their sleep.
