How do you get a child to sleep?
Here are some answers from a mothers group.
We have been dealing with this and FINALLYYYY solved the problem. 30 minutes before bedtime we give him LUNA Melatonin pills and we reversed the lock on his door to face the hall! Took a week before he quit! But it worked!
Lavender in a diffuser... And lock the door. My friends daughter did the same thing and would fall asleep at the door for a few nights until she realized that she wasn't going to win the fight to get out of the room.
Yep- we give melatonin before bed too. Really works. Also- when you are putting her back to bed- do not interact with her. It's time- says it's time to go to bed, every time after that, just put her back to bed and say nothing. I also take away their favorite blanket, stuffed animal etc and that seems to help.
I started tart cherry juice and diffusing lavender or Doterra serenity in her room over melatonin option.
Cut down on nap and lock the door. I had to or mine wouldn't ever fall asleep! We unlock after he's fallen asleep just in case he needs us
We use an app called "Calm" and they have sleep stories. At first that helped but now she wants me to lay with her. I give her a time limit or if she gets up I leave. Lately we have been telling her to listen to the story and tell me the ending tomorrow. That has been working so well this past week. I remember this phase with my son and looking back it was short lived. Good luck!
Tell us your tips and tricks!
Lock your child in the room?!?! No thanks. That's not an answer. How do you know of the crying is because they're upset or because they're hurt? That's cruel. If they get out of bed, here's a thought- put them back to bed. It takes a few nights, and it's hard work (unlike locking a fire and letting them scream), but t works. That's how you put your kids to bed. Also, supplements are any studied enough on children. I would never give my child anything to make them sleep. This is not a responsible post AT. ALL.
ReplyDelete*locking a door
Delete*aren't studied
DeleteI don't understand how anyone can justify locking a child in a room. If I found out my nanny did this, she would be fired immediately.
ReplyDeleteIt's unsafe and cruel.
While I never did it, my MB used to hold the doorknob shut (the child wouldn't have been able to tell whether it was locked or juat being held shut) when the kids gave her a hard time about going to sleep. They were never crying or upset - they would simply pop up immediately after she left the room, open the door and dome out. She found that if she hung out in the hall for a few minutes after putting them down they would try the door, and upon finding it "locked" return to bed and go to sleep. They had a video baby monitor so she could watch them until they returned to bed. It may sound cruel but was very peaceful and definitely not abusive.
ReplyDeleteI think the best way to go about any difficult task as a Nanny is to look at the child’s need behind the behaviour and base your approach on that, if it is in Line with how the parents want to raise their child.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, try to not only look at your goal: get child to sleep on his/her own. But also try to see what stage of development they are in.
An infant/baby: does not know he’s his own person yet, develops attachment relationships in the first year, Brain develops greatly: stress is unhealthy for braindevelopment. Needs: Wants to be with carer alot, carried, held, soothed. Does often not like to sleep on his own. Left to cry Will create stress, something we want to avoid for healthy development. Approach: help the baby to fall asleep by rocking them, walking around with them, singing to them, etc.
A toddler:
Separation anxiety, scared of ‘monsters’/thunder, lots of impressions during day can all make them fall asleep a little more difficult. Positive, consistent rituals can help. They still need alot of physical contact and lying with them can help.
Making a kid drowsy with melantonin is not a way to help them fall asleep on their own. Falling asleep alone is a developmental minestone, we usually expect too much from them for their age.
Locking a child in the room is forcing something from them when they are not ready for it. You’re making them scared for bedtime and breaking their Will Will not help their development at all.
Invest the time and love, read to them and ly with them. This Will build self esteem, give them trust and they Will eventually be ready to sleep on their own.
Go with your gut feeling on this, with your heart.
Good luck!