There is this problem that you might be going through as a parent. The problem of trying to make your child sleep, and trying to keep him asleep the whole night can be devastating. It is such a tricky experience. You might be wondering why your tween child can’t sleep better because he wakes up at wee hours.
According to studies, approximately 40 percent of children suffer from sleep-related problems before they reach 18 years. Sleep problem is a broad term that includes any term that is related to staying asleep or falling asleep and has an impact on the family and the child.
How can you make your tween sleep better at night?
The reason why your child is not sleeping might be due to, biological changes, bedroom fears and anxiety, an unpredictable routine with a poor sleep environment and nightmare awakenings among other reasons. If you want to make your child sleep better, follow the tips below.
- Provide an appropriate sleeping environment
Did you know that you can signal your child’s brain that now it is time to sleep? You can remove any electronics that might cause distractions in the bedroom such as tablets, phones or laptops.
You need to be your child’s sleep role model by letting them know that a bedroom is a resting place and shouldn’t have distractions.
- Watch what your child eats before sleeping
You might want to avoid caffeine as it interferes with sleep. You can include a banana in the diet as it is known to induce sleep.
- Practice consistent sleeping patterns with your tween
Ensure that by a specific time at night, e.g., 8.30-9pm, you take your child to sleep and also have the same time of waking up in the morning. Do this consistently including weekends. Soon you will realize that your child will get used to that sleeping pattern.
- Recognize your child’s feelings
Sometimes children fear to fall asleep due to anxiety and fear. You might want to communicate with them and offer them relaxation techniques. This makes the child relax and keeps all the pressure away.
Some children feel stressed when you tell them to go to sleep when they still want to stay awake. Explain to them gently why they need to sleep and use different techniques, e.g., storytelling to make them sleep.
- Encourage your child independent problem solving techniques
Sometimes children wake up in the middle of the night all of a sudden for no reason. They might then feel scared of the dark and feel like something is inside the room and start screaming or calling you.
Try to teach your child that they can always use a flashlight to check if everything is okay. Tell them to wake up and switch on the lights if it makes them feel better.
- Reduce your kid’s exposure to violent content
If you have never noticed, most tweens tend to have nightmares due to watching violent content that makes them nervous and affects their sleep. Ensure that your kids don’t watch violent TV shows, games or movies.
In case they have nightmares, make them relax by telling them it that was just fantasy and can never happen in real life.
- Give your child a bedtime treat
Children will always get motivated when you reward their positive behaviour. Teach your child to stay in bed until morning without getting up at night unless there is an emergency.
If your child does this, reward him with a lovely bedtime treat. Ensure that you don’t give them caffeine drinks or foods with high sugar. Positive reinforcement is likely to lead to a repeat of that behaviour.
Helping your tween child fall asleep is a challenge that you might have struggled with. But it doesn’t have to be that hard if you follow the tips above. Remember to set a strict bedtime routine with your child so that they can sleep better.
Have you ever had a child with sleeping issues? How did you solve that? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
