Preschoolers And Sleep: How To Help Them Get The Rest They Need
Children from 3-5 years old need between from 9 to 12 hours sleep at night. If your child is not getting enough sleep, they will often become irritable or easily fatigued during the day. They may also resist going to bed at night because they over-slept during the day and are now hyper. There are some tried-and-true ways to help them develop good sleep habits.
Napping at Midday
Children around three usually require a nap after lunch that lasts a couple of hours but by the time your child is five – not so much. Try to avoid allowing your child to have a long nap later in the day.
Keeping a Consistent Bedtime Routine
Preschool age children who resist going to bed could be trying to have some control over their environment and you. However, they benefit most from a nighttime routine that includes a regular bedtime.
To establish a pleasant nighttime routine, the activities near bedtime should become less active. Many parents give their kids a small nighttime snack, help their children take a bath, brush their teeth, and put on their pajamas. Then it is off to bed for a story. This routine is commonplace because it works; it not only helps children wind down but it also helps them establish a regular sleep cycle.
A child needs to learn to fall asleep independently so you should avoid doing these things after saying goodnight:
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Staying in the room or lying next to child as they fall asleep.
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Allowing the child to get out of bed.
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Providing more stories and play to help the child settle down.
To help the child to cope with the dark, you may want to give them to have a flashlight to keep beside their bed or put a nightlight in their room. Some kids are comforted with soft attachment objects like teddy bears or special blankets to hold on to.
If the child resists and wants to keep getting up, you may need to sit quietly for a time just outside of their room. When the child gets up, help them back into bed and give simple reassurances.
If for some reason this routine gets disrupted for several days, it can cause a child's internal clock to reset to a later sleep time. If this becomes a problem, you can reestablish the original routine by giving the child an over-the-counter antihistamine like diphenhydramine (be sure to purchase the children's version and give the right dosage for your child's weight and age!) or melatonin for a couple of nights to help them become drowsy.
Handling Nighttime Wakefulness
Stressful events like a move or an illness interfere with a child's sleep, but you don't want to start inadvertently encouraging them to come into your room in the middle of night on a regular basis. You should help the child take care of toileting if they need it, and then guide them back into their own bed. Letting them get in bed with you is reinforcing nighttime wakefulness.
A loving but firm manner will do; things you will find counterproductive are:
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Scolding or yelling,
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Playing,
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Giving them special attention, or
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Spanking them.
Coping with Nightmares and Night Terrors
A child needs reassurance after a disturbing dream, of course. If they begin having nightmares often, they may affected by violent programs they see on TV, so it is wise to monitor what they are exposed to. Watching The Walking Dead or The Vikings with you is not conducive to a four year old being able to fall into a peaceful sleep. Even certain cartoons or kiddie shows may be disturbing to a sensitive child. If nightmares continue, try keeping a diary to help identify what is scaring your child.
A child who is prone to night terrors can give parents some dramatic moments to cope with. The child will scream or thrash around in the middle of night, appearing to be very frightened but won't respond to comforting. When this happens they are in a state between wakefulness and deep sleep, so they won't remember the episode later. Thankfully, these episodes usually don't require treatment and will eventually stop.
To Recap
To help your preschooler get enough sleep, establish a loving but firm routine that allows them to wind down and encourage them to fall asleep on their own. Help them as necessary during the night, and guide them back to their bed when they get up. Additionally, if necessary, seek help from a pediatrician like Rainbow Pediatrics.