You don't need us to tell you how important sleep is for your children (and for you too). But most mothers are clueless when it comes to the actual number of hours required for their child's sleep. Well, that of course depends on your child's age:
Infants: 12-15 hours
Toddlers: 11-14 hours
Preschoolers: 10-13 hours
School goers: 11-14 hours
Teenagers: 8 hours daily.
What Happens If Children Don't Get Enough Sleep?
Apart from affecting their behavior (i.e. making them sleepy, irritable, disoriented, not being able to focus at school, etc.), here are some of the many negative health effects of inadequate sleep:
- Their bodies go into overdrive
- The brain is unable to rest
- Lowers their metabolic rates
- Increases chances of obesity
- Bad skin
- Impaired learning and school performance
- Snoring
- Sleep disorders
So you see why proper sleep is important for children of all ages? And in case getting them to get a good night's rest is a problem, the following home remedieswill definitely help you out:
Best Home Remedies to Make Your Child Sleep
1. Dark Room!
The best way to trick your child's body into sleeping is to get rid of any and every light pollution. And that does include your night lights. For added benefits, use thick curtains (in dark colors) and sleep masks. If your children are afraid of the dark, then leave a light on in an adjacent room. Or purchase lamps that shut themselves down after set periods of time.
2. Tools Help
If lights in adjoining rooms is not an option then how about giving your child a flashlight of their own? If your child is afraid of monsters, then give her a giant fighter teddy bear or ninja figurine that will protect him from monsters.
3. Use Lavender
Several independent researches have shown the calming effect the scent of lavender has on the human brain. I mean, there's a reason it's used heavily in the spa industry as well as aromatherapy – it really works. Its scent has shown to promote a good sleep alongside calming one's nervous system. You can use home remedies to make your child sleeplike lavender in many different ways – essential oils, room sprays, scented candles, dried flower in sachets, etc.
4. Hold Back on Your Mom Urges
If your child calls you when she's sleeping and you know it's nothing urgent, then instead of immediately responding, ignore her calls every once in a while. If you can't do that then at least take your own time getting back to her. This will show her that this is the time for her to be asleep, instead of being awake and leaning on mommy for things she wants to get done.
5. Have Set Sleep Routines
A consistent routine helps your child's body clock arrange and establish its own set schedule. And once their body has eased into a schedule, your child will find it much easier to go off to sleep. This is why you should ensure that your child sleep at a fixed time every night.
6. No Afternoon Naps
Now this may work for some children, but it doesn't for others. Children who often sleep in the afternoons are energetic at night because their bodies have had time to rest. Give your child time to rest during the afternoons, but don't let them go off to sleep. By the time night time will arrive, they will be too tired to do anything but sleep. This really is one of the best home remedies to make your child sleep.
7. Magnesium
Magnesium is an important nutrient for our body, which also promotes a healthy mind. Children over the ages of 2 are allowed to have Magnesium dosages (100mg) in order to promote a good sleep. However, do talk to your doctor before giving any sort of supplements to your child.
8. Comfort Is Important
Maybe the reason your child is unable to sleep immediately is because something is hindering their peaceful sleeps. Check if their mattresses or pillows need to be changed, or if their room temperatures are all wrong. Check for protruding parts from the bed, or even bed bugs. See if their bedsheets and covers aren't scratchy or too thick or thin for them. The more comfortable their beds and their surroundings are, the easier they will fall asleep.
9. Wear Your Child Off
Alright, so this isn't technically one of the home remedies to make your child sleep,but if it works, it works! It's entirely possible that your child is unable to burn the excess energy in their body, resulting in their inability to fall asleep at night. So whenever possible, let your child get involved in physical activities for at least half an hour daily. Sports, gym, self defense, dance classes, swimming, ballet…the choices are endless.
10. Say No to Screens
Be it TV, phones, laptops, mobiles or tablets – set down a rule of no playing games or watching stuff on gadgets before sleep. They have consistently shown to disrupt the sleeping patterns of adults and children alike. In fact, go a step further and unplug all electronic gadgets in the vicinity of your child's bed. This will avoid the electrical field emanating from these gadgets from disrupting your child's melatonin secretion (which helps in a peaceful sleep).
11. Allergens
A lot of their parents are unaware if their children suffer from mild allergy, which may very well be the reason they're unable to sleep properly at night. Get your child tested and if they do turn out to be allergic, ensure that you remove all allergens from their environment so that they can sleep peacefully.