Sleep plays an essential role in the proper development of a child. This is why it is important to learn how to sleep well from an early age. Which is not always easy! You who are “big”, know well that one does not plunge into sleep with the wave of a magic wand. You also know that it is sometimes difficult to go back to sleep when you wake up at night, after a nightmare… So it’s up to you to pass on your good knowledge. By being a real sleep teacher, you will allow your child to fully appreciate the best nocturnal activity: that of the perfect sleep! Teaching your child to sleep is exciting!
What is sleep good for?
It is simply used for everything: during sleep, little heads work, and little bodies grow. It promotes recovery from physical fatigue, it is necessary for growth, rests the mind, and soothes the tensions accumulated during the day. It also facilitates the maturation of the nervous system and helps to memorize the information acquired during the day.
Several cycles
Sleep is organized in a succession of cycles. Those of the baby’s sleep is short, between 50 and 60 minutes. They lengthen gradually to reach, around 3 years, the duration of those of the adult, that is to say, 4 to 5 cycles of 1h30 to 2 hours each. Those at the beginning of the night are richer in slow and deep sleep, those at the end of the night have more frequent periods of “paradoxical” sleep, associated with dreams (it is called “paradoxical” because it corresponds to a period of high brain activity while the body is at rest). Between each cycle, there is a micro-awakening, a delicate period that often leads the child to call his parents… for help!
A long night journey that is preparing
Watch out for the excitement at the end of the day! Indeed, the more a child runs, shouts, and jumps before bedtime, the more he then has difficulty falling asleep. “At home, we lower the light and the tone after dinner, and the children play quiet games for 30 minutes while listening to soft music” explains the mother of Flora 4 years old, and Tristan 6 years old “and I am firm on the instructions so that the children can take advantage of the calm environment that I am creating at this moment. This family habit does them a world of good after their day of intense activity! Bedtime is then without fuss. »
A ritual to take seriously
“The bedtime ritual is always the same, it works! The only time I broke down and told two stories instead of one, the next day I was treated to an escalation of requests,” noted the father of Mathis, 3 years old. Consistency and consistency are the keys to a successful bedtime routine. No need to spend half the evening there. Fifteen minutes are more than enough to tell a little story, give a hug, and remind the child of all the beautiful things he is going to do the next day… before leaving him on tiptoe.
Stop the nightmares
Sharing a good time before bedtime with his child often allows him to exchange some confidence. He thus gets rid of the stress of his day before falling asleep. When the nightmares multiply, show the child that you are in full control of the situation. Don’t play his game by looking for monsters under the bed, or in the closet: suffice it to say there aren’t any! Listen with attention and in silence: your child evacuates his emotions by talking. Cuddle him, and remind him that in his house, with his mom and dad, he is always safe. If he has real anxieties, suggest that you talk about it the next morning. From the age of five, a little chat with a parent can help play down the big fears of the night to forget the worries of the past day that still worry him.
Good ideas for spending quiet nights
- Going to bed should never be a punishment. Avoid threats like “if you’re naughty, you’ll go to bed without dessert” when the child is very restless in the evening. Conversely, he will like to go to his bed, if you make it a little corner of his own, with photos of the family on the wall, or pictures of his favorite heroes.
- Avoid letting your child watch cartoons or play on their console before going to bed. The bombardment of images, lights, and sounds are detrimental to good sleep and peaceful sleep.
- To avoid conflicts at bedtime with an older child, offer him to fill in the boxes of a motivation table each evening (download here). Each successful bedtime will be recorded there and will entitle him to a privilege (one more hour before going to bed on weekends, a grass mat until 11 am…)
- At bedtime or for naps, teach your child to relax. Speak to him gently, asking him to close his eyes and imagine himself “in his head” in a pleasant situation: on a cloud, in the arms of a big teddy bear… Then let him continue his imaginary adventure which will take him and gently bring you to sleep.
- Do not intervene when your child is humming or talking in bed, even at a late hour. It’s his way of relaxing before drifting off to sleep on his own.
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