Putting babies to bed can become a real war and be a stressful time for the whole family. Fortunately, the situation can improve if you know the right methods. Does your child cry and scream when it's time to go to sleep? Then read here!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Understanding Why Your Child Cries When It's Time for Bed
Step 1. Accept that young children are unwilling to give up your attention
For many children, the phrase "it's time to go to bed" essentially means "it's time for you to be alone, with no one to fill you with affection or pay attention to you or keep you company." It is understandable that they are not particularly enthusiastic about the idea! That's why they keep crying, calling you and getting out of bed looking for another dose of pampering and attention.
Step 2. Learn to recognize the role that fatigue plays
Ironically, babies tend to be more opposed to going to bed when they are particularly tired. Fatigue, in fact, makes children irritable, weepy and anything but cooperative, so that putting them to bed risks becoming a grueling battle.
Children generally run and play so much during the day that they get exhausted in the evening, but sometimes the problem can be just the opposite: that they are not tired enough! If your child spends too much time sitting in front of the TV or computer, for example, or if you send them to sleep too early, then they may still have too much energy to calm down
Step 3. Consider your child's possible fears
Children have vivid imaginations and it is difficult for them to distinguish between reality and fantasy, so they may be prone to nightmares or afraid of being alone in the dark. Problems like this can play a big role in your child's reluctance to go to sleep.
Method 2 of 3: Prepare for a Serene Bedtime Routine
Step 1. Adjust the length of your afternoon nap
If you've found yourself fighting long, grueling battles to get your child to sleep, aim for an hour-long afternoon nap - about an hour and a half. Too short a nap will cause him to arrive tired and irritable in the evening; one that is too long, on the other hand, will leave him full of energy to sell!
Some studies report that too little sleep can increase cortisol levels in children - a stress hormone that makes it difficult to sleep well. A short afternoon nap can prevent the cortisol level from rising
Step 2. Don't punish your child with a forced nap
If you do this, your child will learn to associate sleeping with the concept of punishment - he will then feel confused seeing you inflict this "punishment" on him every night and, as a result, will resist more.
Step 3. Choose an appropriate bedtime
You don't want to try to put your child to bed before he's tired, but don't let him stay up late either. Babies need about fourteen hours of sleep a day (although many sleep significantly less, unfortunately): so if you give your child an hour-long afternoon nap, send him to bed at a time that allows him to sleep in the evening. to get thirteen hours of sleep.
- When choosing a time to put your child to bed, don't forget to consider your needs as well. Without sacrificing your child's needs for this, commit to setting a time that works for them and allowing you some time to relax in the evening, alone or with your partner.
- Young children cannot tell the time, but they can learn to recognize the signs that herald the time to go to sleep: it is starting to get dark, the family may get together for dinner, etc. Helping your child become aware of these cues will reinforce in him the idea that going to bed is inevitable.
Step 4. Make your child's bedroom a cozy place to sleep
Buy the sheets he likes and have his favorite blanket or stuffed animal close at hand.
Step 5. Stick to a consistent bedtime routine
An ideal routine consists of several steps and lasts at least an hour, so your child will gradually get used to the procedure and know what to expect - for example, the ritual could include a bath, a pajama, a snack before bed, history. goodnight, brushing your teeth, a few minutes of pampering and then to bed. Once the ritual is established, stick to it and repeat it every night.
For best results, give your child some leeway over some aspects of this routine. Let him choose the snack, for example, and the bedtime story
Method 3 of 3: Going into the Battles to Put Your Child to Bed
Step 1. Stay calm
Even if you follow all the steps to start a peaceful bedtime ritual, your baby can still cry sometimes and refuse to go to bed. If you look agitated or angry, she will notice and the battle will get even tougher. If, on the other hand, you keep a calm tone of voice and a calm demeanor, your child is more likely to remain calm too.
Step 2. Remind your child what the routine is
If he keeps crying and calling you, calmly remind him that it's time to go to sleep: “We had a bath, put on our pajamas, ate a snack and read the bedtime story. We brushed our teeth and cuddled. Now is the time to sleep."
Step 3. Chase the monsters away
If your child seems genuinely scared (rather than just stubborn), you can help him overcome his fears by leaving a light on for the night or by inventing creative rituals to defeat the monsters that frighten him, perhaps by pretending to have a secret weapon that chase the monsters out of the room. Just remember not to let this ritual last too long and don't allow it to become a moment of play for your child.
Step 4. Be consistent
Avoid coming up with condescending phrases like: "ok, one more story" or "okay, another ten minutes of cuddling." If you do, your child will have pretty much won the battle and got what he wanted. Instead, tell him it's time to sleep.
Step 5. Check your child on a regular basis
If you see that he is really upset, try leaving the room for about ten minutes, then come back, reassure him briefly - without giving in to requests to read him more stories or give him more cuddles, but simply gently reminding him that you are nearby and that it is time. sleep - and repeat the process if necessary.
Step 6. Consider promising your child a reward
If you're really desperate, tell him that if he goes to sleep without having a tantrum, you'll take him to do something fun tomorrow.
This should be your last resort. If you use this system too often, your child will begin to expect to receive a reward every time he goes to sleep. So, in the end, you would find yourself back and forth with your problem of not being able to put your child to bed
Advice
- Remember that encouragement often works better than scolding and punishment. Whenever the opportunity arises, praise your child for doing well at bedtime. Talk about it again the next morning and repeat phrases like, “You went to sleep just like big kids do last night! I'm really proud of you!"
- Evening battles to get kids to bed can be incredibly frustrating and stressful, but try not to take it personally. From a developmental point of view, children only try to express their wishes and, in their growth path to become autonomous, sometimes they tend to say "no" to authority figures. This isn't necessarily something you're wrong - it's probably just a question of age.
