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Sleeping Habits of ChildrenThe most important thing for a child’s good mental and physical health is sleep. To establish regular patterns of hunger, wakefulness and sleep readiness an infant evolves for themselves various internal clocks. When they are hungry or in pain an infant will wake up, but otherwise they generally sleep throughout the day. They have to be assisted to sleep as they grow up by rocking them to sleep or using music. A baby can literally cry themselves to sleep if they are tired enough, but the method of falling asleep is typically worked out on their own. Just before dropping off to sleep a baby may suck their thumb, suckle their bottle or roll into a favorite position. Fourteen to fifteen hours of sleep is required for a child between one and two years. Sleeping hours are reduced to twelve hours when a child is three and four years old. Only eleven hours is required for children between four to six years. The following are the many causes of bad sleep:
A parent should set consistent, but not overbearingly rigid, times for going to bed and routines accompanying it. To allow the children to finish whatever they are doing before taking them to bed you should allow fifteen minutes to finish reading an interesting book or playing with other children. The bedroom should not be too hot or cold and it should be quiet with no disturbing activity. A child should essentially have their own bed that is comfortable and night clothes that are loose and cool. A strong aid to sleep is a familiarity with the settings in the bedroom. To help your child feel secure and allow them to sleep soundly you should leave a dim light on in the room where the child sleeps. Night terrors and nightmares often trouble a child of four or five years. Switching on the lights and cuddling a child in your arms is the easiest way to comfort a child who whimpers or cries in their sleep. Until a child goes back to sleep you may have to spend time with them and give them some cold water to drink. The best treatment to remember during this time is a combination of gentleness and reassurance. Sleep walking is common in many older children and even adolescents do this. Some children will perform complicated tasks and wander around the house with their eyes open before going back to bed quietly and later they will remember what they have done. Night wandering and sleep walking are two different things. Children who night wander will go back to sleep instantly if they are led back to their beds. Steps should be taken to prevent a child from hurting themselves if they are a habitual sleep walker. Hazards should be eliminated and all doors and windows should be securely locked. Mental stress is sometimes connected with this phase. Therefore, parents should try and find out if something is seriously worrying their child and a psychiatrist should be consulted so the disorder can be discovered and treated accordingly. Night wandering is outgrown by children as soon as they grow up. |
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