Sleep Tight
Baby bunnies need their sleep, more so than adults even, it is at night when children are tucked up small that their body encourages growth and renewal.
Whilst some babies and children, snuggle down to sleep effortlessly, others can be a very different story.
Putting boundaries in are vital to start as you mean to go on, be firm on bedtimes, but make it a special time. Super Nanny recommends that bedtime should be between 7pm and 7.30pm for children up to age of four or five then range between 8pm and 9pm for children up to age 10 or 12. Follow these steps to set up a bedtime routine, which should last about half an hour.
Encourage calm time before bedtime, with activities like reading and quiet play rather than leaping around or competitive games. Computer games can stimulate the brain and are worth avoiding before bed.
Remind your child “in five minutes it’s bedtime”. Then follow through!
A bath before bed is a fab way to calm you child down, it also makes bedtime fun time, if it’s time you spend one to one with them. Try adding aromatherapy oils to the bath water such as lavender or chamomile are very relaxing. Badger night night balm is a wonderful balm made of aromatherapy oil especially for children to encourage restful sleep.
In bed, keep the lights low. Read a story and maybe chat over the day; try telling your child about something they did that pleased you, to reassure her and will send her to sleep on a positive note. Half an hour spent reading to or settling your child, can give you an evening of peace!
A kiss and a cuddle and you can put the lights out. If your child is scared of the dark, use a night light or leave a light on in the hall.
If you have more than one child, stagger their bedtimes so they each benefit from a calming story and goodnight cuddle from you or your partner.
Sometimes even after taking time to settle them children can occasionally find it hard to get off to sleep, as with adults some children can become fearful about bedtime, feeling abandonment, nightmares, or a fear they are missing out on something!
Avoid loosing temper, this will just unsettle your child and make them even more fractious, simply return them to bed, some children love to press boundaries to see if they can get away with things, just keep returning them to bed with no rewards, no extra stories, simply tuck them back up soon they will settle, this can be frustrating but don’t give up or loose your temper!
Following these guidelines can really help settle your child into a routine; however sometimes if a child has a long-term sleep problem, or is going through a stressful time there are little herbal helpers to give you an extra helping hand.
