Parenting is hard as it is, without the added burden of struggling to wake your child up for school. Mornings are generally marked by you yelling at your child to wake up, then scrambling to get to school on time, often leaving in a hurry and missing one thing or the other.
Then, there are calls from the school, complaining that your child does not have their course work on them, or are sleepy during the lesson.
The stress of having a sleepy child can be real. It can be attributed mainly to the late nights. At times, parents do not have a proper sleep routine in place, in other times, children simply stay up late on their own accord, even when warned otherwise by the parents.
If your child is still sleepy despite sleeping at times, perhaps a visit to the Child specialist in Lahore is due to establish why your child is feeling so sleepy.
Otherwise, here are some tips to help you establish a good nighttime routine:
Discourage late evening naps
Admittedly, naps are great, but only when done right. When your child takes a nap late in the evening, they naturally will not be sleeping early at night. Late nights then mean difficulty getting up early in the morning.
Therefore, make sure that you do not let your child take naps later in the day.
Have a sleep schedule
To get quality and sufficient sleep, it is important that you enforce a sleep schedule. Our body likes routine, and when we go to bed at the same time over a period of time, our body is attuned to it.
It will then be easier to fall asleep for your child, rather than restless late nights.
Prepare the night before
A lot of children have to be shaken awake early by their parents since they are yet to be prepared for the day ahead; whether it be deciding the clothes or packing the bag. This can also make parents indignant, and children disgruntled, which can also contribute towards the child becoming petulant.
One easy way to remedy this is by preparing the night before. Make sure that your child is all packed up before being tucked into the bed. Decide with them about what to wear for tomorrow, so that they are excited about school.
When your preparation is done, your child can wake up, enjoy breakfast, and laxly go off to school instead of being shoved hurried into the car.
Pay attention to the meals
You might not realize it, but diet also plays an important part in the sleep routine of your child. It is important that there be an appropriate gap between bedtime and dinner time. Eating and then laying down can cause heartburn, due to which your child might not be able to sleep.
Moreover, what you feed them is also important. Meals that have good protein and fat content are good to help your child sleep better. These nutrients help in having quality sleep.
Furthermore, it is vital that sugar be avoided before bedtime; sweet things lead to a spike in the blood glucose levels, that energize the kid. This in turn, messes up their sleep time.
Similarly, caffeine should also be avoided. Even if your child does not drink a caffeinated beverage like cold coffee, or coke, they might get the jolt of caffeine from chocolate. Thus, make sure that food is served accordingly.
There are certain foods that can help your child sleep better. These include nuts, cherries, and milk.
Go to bed early
One quick way to ensure that your child gets adequate sleep is by going to bed early. Make bedtime fun for the child; you can read books or some bedtime stories. If your child is still reluctant to sleep, perhaps a talk with a therapist, scheduled via oladoc.com, is due.
