Developing a good sleep pattern for babies is very crucial for their right growth and development. Learn about the 5 mistakes parents make with baby’s sleep training and avoid them for aiding the growth of your child.Research has indicated that modern school kids get lesser sleep nowadays than their contemporaries did about 50 years ago. Some the associated
problems of sleep deficiency are nap problems, battles at bedtime and frequent waking up at night. Modern ages parents are so harried stressed and are so overloaded with information that it becomes difficult for them to fix up appropriate patterns for rest for their kids. The list described below will guide you on avoiding mistakes regarding appropriate sleep patterns.
1. Late Bedtimes
Kids below the age of 12 should definitely not go to
sleep later than 10 p.m. as anything less than 10 hours of sleep at night will create over fatigue for them. Over exhausted babies take forever to fall asleep as they are cranky and restless at night. If you arrive late at home from work do not make the mistake of crossing the bed time of your kids just to spend some more time with them. Babies have sensitive biological clocks which should not be disturbed. The best thing is to fix a certain bedtime and then stick to it.
2. Using Motion for Inducing Sleep
Small children and babies have a tendency to fall asleep inside cars and strollers as the motion calms their minds. However, this kind of sleep is akin to adults falling asleep during flights and train journeys it is a lighter more flippant sleep which does not really have the restorative power associated with solid night sleep.
Getting children addicted to sleeping during motion can cause them to face difficulties while sleeping at night. While it is useful to use motion to soothe a kid once your child has dozed off encourage him or her to complete the rest of the sleep in a bed.
3. Using Overstimulation
Blinking lights, toys singing tunes, video games and anything which uses noise in order to distract is an unwelcome addition during sleep time. Child psychiatrists say that babies sleep best in a dark room as it helps their brains to give complete rest.
It is best to encourage small kids to sleep in completely dark rooms before they start getting night time fears. Once they are used to sleeping in dark rooms they would not feel the customary fear of darkness like other people. So keep away all those C.D’s and DVD’s and restrict their use to the evenings and mornings.
4. Not Establishing a Bed Time Routine
With babies it is essential to establish a series of psychologically calming acts which
help them fall gently asleep. The routine can be a bedtime prayer, lullaby or a quiet cuddle or a story etc. what is important is that the routine should not be broken and the activities should follow a consistent pattern.
Some parents make the mistake of breaking the routine once their kids are a little older or sometimes when they (the parents) do not feel like it. These inconsistencies put a lot of psychological stress on the child and disturb their
sleep pattern.
5. Shifting to a Bed Too Early
Psychiatrists say that kids are not ready to sleep on a bed on their own before they cross the age of 3. Many parents try weaning the kids out of their
cribs super early and this leads to the kids developing irregular or disturbed sleep patterns. Children below the age of 3 do not have the cognitive development and the necessary self control to stay put inside the invisible boundaries of the bed. So it is best to resist letting your kids sleep on their own before they turn 3.
Now that you know about the common sleep pattern mistakes you will be better equipped to avoid them.
How to develop a good sleep pattern for babies? What are the ways to ensure that a baby gets a good sleep at night? How can poor sleep habits affect the health of babies? Discuss here.