Sometimes a mother, thinking that it will be better for her child, tries to wean him from daytime sleep. The only question is how to do it and is it necessary at all? It is rather difficult to answer this question, since most pediatricians assure that a day's sleep is very beneficial for a child.
How to wean a child from daytime sleep?
Sleeping for a child during the day or not is a sore point for many mothers. Some are looking for an answer to the question of how to teach them to sleep during the day, while others - on the contrary, how to wean a child from sleeping during the day. In the first case, everything is clear - you need to tell him fairy tales, avoid outdoor games with him, read books, etc. Many good books have been written on this topic.
But what to do in the second case? First, don't get upset and don't rush the time. If the child is still small and far from school, even forget about weaning him from daytime sleep. Your baby simply needs it for many reasons:
Above all, for health. Daytime sleep relieves an immense load from a fragile child's body, eliminates muscle spasms, and allows the brain to work more productively. Good behavior is an equally important reason. Children who did not sleep during the day become irritable, nervous and whiny in the evening, unable to concentrate on one thing. They lose their appetite. Finally, rest during the day is the key to a good night's sleep. A child who sleeps during the day will behave calmly until nightfall. As a result, his sleep will be even and calm.
And now the child has grown up …
If a 5-6-year-old child sleeps a lot during the day, it can be weaned from sleep using the "by contradiction" method. That is, if you have previously refused outdoor games with your child, start in every possible way to attract him to them. Instead of reading children's books and telling stories, turn on cartoons. For example, the popular today cartoon "Masha and the Bear" will definitely not let your baby fall asleep.
If you used to turn on calm music and just lay next to your child - turn on the fun one and dance with him a little. And you yourself will have fun, and he will definitely like it. You can also go for a walk with the child instead of sleeping, go with him to visit someone, and it will be good if there are children of the same age. Remember that doing such manipulations on a daily basis will allow your child to gradually wean from daytime sleep.
What if the child falls asleep anyway? Let the baby sleep peacefully, do not disturb him. Only if he fell asleep in the wrong place, you can still transfer him to the bed (or sofa) and cover him with a blanket. Remember that pediatricians, when asked whether a child needs to sleep during the day, almost always give a positive answer. And it does not matter at all how old he will be - 1, 5, 10, 15, 17, or he will become an adult at all. Daytime sleep is good for everyone.
