How many of you can say, “Oh my child will not sleep!” Well I can help with that. Study shows if your child isn’t sleeping 11 to 12 hours straight through the night, he/she isn’t getting the sleep that their brain and body requires to function. The three ways to help your child sleep through the night, have a strict routine, Trial and error, last let your child do it alone.

By having a routine your child’s body will become tired around the same time every night. A routine could span from 45 minutes for a younger age children and 2 hours for older children. By routine I mean set alarms for certain things like taking a bath at 5:00pm, Brushing teeth at 5:30pm, reading a book at 6:00pm and lights out at 6:30pm. By having a schedule posted and being strict and not letting things pass or reading one more book you show your child discipline. Set an alarm on a watch and make your child do it alone. If they are between the ages of 4 months and 2, you set the alarm and you help them through it by talking to them every step of the way, and telling them what you are doing.

Trial and error can do the trick sometimes. For babies some pediatricians say it’s ok to increase formula during the day and decrease during the night. Add some powdered rice to their meal to fill them up. Watering down bottles during the middle of the night. Sometimes using your gut feeling is a good idea, I mean who else knows your child better than you. Sometimes your child wants to know that you’re near so letting them sleep next to you or even showing them where you sleep to help them understand that you are not far. Sometimes a security item can help.

Letting your child “do it alone”, is something all children need. Whether  they are newborn or 8 years old. If your baby is older than six months, you may want to try the controlled crying method, which means you leave her a few minutes before returning, but extending the time between each visit. However, you shouldn’t leave your baby to cry for long periods at night. You can also help your children by rewarding them for sleeping through the night. By rewarding I don’t mean buy them a toy I mean you can tell them the sleep time fairy will come if they work really hard to sleep longer. The sleep time fairy could be some glitter or something. They are setting their minds and bodies to train to sleep alone and through the night.

In conclusion by having a routine, Trial and error, and letting them do it alone. You are helping your child’s body, mind, and wellbeing to grow each and everyday.

-Amanda Hugginkiss (Bravo Employee)