A sound, healthy and restful sleep of a child is the basis for proper emotional, mental and physical development. And also the guarantee of a good mood for parents. If you adhere to these simple but effective rules, you will greatly facilitate the transition from wakefulness to sleep for your child and make life easier for yourself.
1 rule. You need to establish a consistent early bedtime.
A child jumping around an apartment at 11 pm is an overworked child. His nervous system was overstimulated due to the fact that his parents had not put him to bed one and a half to two hours ago. If the child is put to bed too late, it will be more difficult for his overworked nervous system to readjust to sleep. Falling asleep will take longer. And restless sleep with awakenings is possible. And if you put your baby to bed at the same time, the baby's body will feel tired by the time you start preparing for bed, the baby will "ripen" for sleep at the time you set.
The same goes for naps. It will be easier for the kid to fall asleep if there is a schedule and a clear time for quiet hours.
2 rule. Compliance with the regime of the day.
Sleep is only one episode of a day in a child's life (more precisely, two - day and night). But it is influenced by many events and factors adjacent to it in time. Active games, food, activities should alternate at about the same time. Establishing a smart daily routine will make it much easier for your little one to fall asleep.
3 rule. Create a bedtime "ritual".
The ritual only sounds menacing. Come up with 3-4 simple steps before going to bed. They must be repeated every day. For example, reading a book - brushing your teeth - turning off the lights in the aquarium - pot - bed. Or a bathtub - pajamas - a pot - a fairy tale or a lullaby in bed. The sooner you create your ritual (you can start from 3 months of age), the faster this scheme will begin to work. At first it is like a barely noticeable path in the thicket, but you walk along it every day, without changes. And after a while it will turn into a well-trodden path along which the child easily gets to a sweet dream. And also the ritual is a great opportunity to communicate with the baby, discuss the events that happened during the day, and tell the baby about plans for tomorrow.
4. The child should go to bed already sleepy, but not yet asleep.
Teach your little one to fall asleep on their own. Children under 2 years old often wake up between sleep phases. So a baby who knows how to fall asleep himself in the evening will simply turn over to another barrel, and the one who is used to falling asleep in his mother's arms will call his mother. There is no need to say that this is not good either for the child or for the mother.
How to put a child to bed is not a difficult question at all. All that is required from parents is consistency. Children very quickly get used to any changes. Be consistent and affectionate.
