Helping kids fall asleep and have a quality night’s rest is challenging to say the least! So, we went to the expert to get her top 5 tips to help improve your child’s (and yours!) sleep … over to you Kylie! xx
Seek the sun!
Spending time in natural sunlight is a great mood booster AND it also can improve sleep quality overnight for babies, toddlers and adults.
Sunlight can help with setting our bodyclock, specifically when we spend time outdoors between 6:30am and 8:30am. This can prime our bodies for sleep that night. Melatonin is an important hormone for our bodies and spending time in the natural sunlight assists with optimal levels of Melatonin. 30 minutes or so outdoors in the sunlight is a great daily goal.
Get Physical!
I am sure you’ve noticed when you have an active day you tend to fall asleep quickly and sleep deeply.
Children, toddlers and baby benefit from movement. Playing is the perfect way to engage different muscles, burn up energy and help our bodies feel ready to rest!
Not only is playtime great for our health, it’s a great way to strengthen the bond with our children. Playtime for babies can be as simple as tummy time and crossbody reaching, toddlers can climb, chase, roll and explore and play games. Older children will still love to play and may also enjoy more structured activities like team or independent sports.
Wind it down daily!
Babies, toddlers and children often feel a sense of safety and comfort when they can predict what will happen next, it also helps to build confidence. You can help your little ones understand the process of what to expect next by creating cues for your son or daughter throughout the day and into the evening.
Establishing a transition period to signal the end of the day is very effective at allowing little ones to prepare for bedtime. A wind-down routine may include turning off electronic devices, dimming the lights, a bath, book and cuddle before bed.
Slowing down and establishing these habits really helps to make bedtime easier and enjoyable.
Day sleeps matter for nightime success!
Often parents make the assumption that minimising day sleeps for a baby will encourage more sleep overnight, but with babies it can do the opposite! Sleep promotes sleep!
By helping your baby achieve adequate rest through the day, it will also benefit the overnight sleep. With toddlers, you may want to play around with their day-sleep duration to find the sweet spot for your child.
A common problem we hear about is 2 year olds waking earlier and earlier. Sometimes this can be due to too much sleep during the day, so shaving 30 minutes off that midday sleep may make the world of difference.
Create a sleep haven!
When you are planning your little ones room, take the time to really think about how you can promote sleep. It is tempting to add a lot of decoration and stimulation here but pulling back and keeping things simple can help your little one drift off.
A quality mattress, blockout blinds and a white noise player, if applicable, are all great additions to a nursery or toddlers bedroom.
Sleep tight xox
Kylie developed fully comprehensive online courses to help mums, dads, carers and babies everywhere to sleep well, easily and consistently.
“Helping families sleep is my passion, I studied, volunteered, obtained my certification and began building my sleep consultancy business. I believe The Sleep Mama program is life changing, it is extensive and detailed. It is NOT an extreme sleep training program based on the cry it out approach. It is realistic, nurture based and focused on your baby’s needs just as much as your own. If you’re tired, odds are your baby is too.
Don’t waste another day feeling helpless or anxious. Don’t let sleep deprivation define you as a mother – take the time to give your baby one of the best gifts you can, the skill of good sleep.”
To learn more about Kylie, you can read her interview with us here!