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Talk about sleep -

Establish how your child feels about sleep, and whether they know what to do if either they can't manage to sleep, or if they wake up during the night.

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Discuss any difficulties -

If your child is having trouble sleeping, ask them about  the problems they are having, and try to help them find a solution.

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Allow them to learn their own routine -

If your child is ever going to be able to get back to sleep without your assistance, they will need to learn how to do it on their own.

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Stick to a routine -

We all thrive on routine to a certain extent. Get your child into a routine, such as taking a bath, brushing their teeth, reading a story, and then going to sleep.

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Establish a regular bedtime -

While this can be slightly adjusted on weekends, it is very important that your children get into the routine of going to bed at a regular time.

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Limit activity before bed -

Especially in the last hour before going to sleep, try to get your child to be calm. Reading to them either in or out of bed is a good activity to help them unwind.

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Make sure homework is done early -

If they do their homework within an hour or two of coming home, this will allow them to finish it before dinner, and therefore will remove any pressure from their minds.

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Resolve arguments before bed -

Children can be very rude sometimes! But they can also be quite anxious, so don't allow them to go to sleep without resolving any disputes first.

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Get your child to write down any issues they are having -

If your child is worrying about something, get them to write it down before bed, and forget about it until the morning.

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Suggest a dream catcher -

Suggesting to your child that a dream catcher might take away some of their tiredness, bad dreams, etc. could be effective in keeping them calm.

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Allow them to read in bed -

Either reading, or listening to an audio book in the dark, could prove useful in helping your child sleep.

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Some recommended titles -

Some great titles to read to your children include 'Goodnight Moon' by Margaret Wise Brown and 'Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep' by Joyce Dunbar.

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Praise your child before bed -

Telling your child that you are pleased with them just before they go to bed will put them in a nice and calm frame of mind for sleep.

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Reward your child -

If your child sleeps through the night without interruption, reward them with a breakfast that you know they'll love.

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Reward them further! -

If your child manages a few nights of uninterrupted sleep in a row, why not reward them even further? This will be a great incentive for them.

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Be affectionate -

There are so many reasons why being affectionate with your child is important, one of which is because if they feel happy and loved, they are more likely to be calm and sleep well. 

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Make sure they exercise -

Children need to run around and use energy. Just make sure they don't do it just before bed, as they may take a while to calm down.

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Be aware of caffeine -

Cola and chocolate contain caffeine. Therefore they are best avoided for at least a few hours before sleeping.

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Make sure your children avoid devices in bed -

The brightness and sounds from devices can be very disruptive to sleep. Make sure your child does not use them in bed.

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Don't allow a TV in their bedroom -

Not only could they potentially use it to watch highly unsuitable content, it could also be disastrous for their sleep routine.

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Eat dinner early -

It's better for digestion to take place fully before bedtime. Therefore, make sure you have dinner early with your child.

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Cereal is okay for a snack before bed -

If your child is insisting on a snack before bed, allow them to eat cereal. It contains tryptophan, which could help them sleep.

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Warm milk always helps -

Giving your child some warm milk before bed could be very useful in helping them to relax before they sleep.

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Consider a natural remedy -

If sleep is becoming a real issue, consider allowing your child to take a natural remedy to assist them in sleeping.

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Camomile tea can help -

Anything that will make your child sleep better naturally can only be a good thing. Camomile tea can have this effect.

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Warm baths can be helpful -

A warm bath will naturally put a child into a state of relaxation. Adding some lavender or camomile oil can only help further.

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Lend your pillow -

Children like to be reminded of you. Perhaps you can lend them a pillow that smells like you (maybe one that has been sprayed with your perfume or cologne).

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Reduce your child's salt and sugar intake -

Not only is this great for their general health, it can also help them sleep better. Providing a child with a healthy diet is very important.

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Get more magnesium into their diet -

Consider feeding your child whole grain bread and cereals, beans, nuts, green leafy vegetables, whole milk, peanut butter, bananas, raisins, corn, oatmeal, and low-fat yogurt.

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Try to avoid encouraging naps -

The problem with naps is that sometimes your child may not be sufficiently tired later on.

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Work out the right light levels for your child -

Some children will prefer complete darkness. Others will work better with a night light. Try to figure out which is best for your child.

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Consider the position of your child's bed -

Some people believe that sleeping facing towards the south is better. Either way, make sure your child is happy with the arrangement.

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Ensure your child's bed is comfortable -

It's essential to make sure your child is sufficiently warm and comfortable to get a good night's sleep.

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Keep the decor calm -

Decorating your child's bedroom with neutral colors will have more of a calming effect, and should help them achieve a solid night's sleep.

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Make your child's bedroom a place for sleeping -

Try to minimize the amount of time your child is in their bedroom, other than for sleeping. This should make the association between their bedroom and sleep very strong.

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Keep your child's bedroom ventilated -

Allowing some fresh air to get into their room should keep the air quality in a good state, as well as ensure that the room's odor doesn't become unpleasant.

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Keep your child's bedroom at a comfortable temperature -

A temperature of 18°C (64°F) is perfect for sleep. Try to ensure that your child is neither too cold nor too warm at night.

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Ensure the room is quiet -

Make sure that your child is not disturbed by activity from other areas of your house, as this could seriously disrupt their sleep.

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Encourage yoga -

You are never too young to start doing yoga! Get your child to attend classes from a young age. This will help with relaxation, and thereby sleep.

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Encourage deep breathing -

Everyone should be aware of how their own breathing works, and how closely linked this is to relaxation. Teach this from a young age.

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Teach relaxation techniques -

Be there with your child before they fall asleep. Teach them how to relax, and before you know it they will fall asleep!

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Get your child to listen to calm music -

If your child is aware of how calm music can affect their mentality, they may utilize it at certain moments to enable easy sleep.

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Teach your child to meditate -

Like with yoga, you can never be too young to learn meditation. Anything that teaches mindfulness and calmness has to be good!

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Give your child a massage -

It is always relaxing to have a massage, and children are no exception. A massage before bed can tire your child out in all the right ways.

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Play your child guided visualization audio books -

Two great examples of this are 'Indigo Dreams' by Lori Lite and 'Magical Meditations for Superheroes' by Marneta Viegas.

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Teach your child about sleep patterns -

Explain to them that waking up in the middle of the night is perfectly normal and nothing to be scared of, and that they can return to sleep right after.

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Teach your child how to return to sleep -

Through a combination of techniques, whether that is meditation, breathing exercises, or visualization, give your child the choice of what works best for them.

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Tell your child how proud you are of them -

Let them know that you are proud, and tell your child that they will also be proud of themselves for being able to sleep well.

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Ask your child what they will do if they wake up -

Make sure that they know how to deal with the problem, and that they feel sufficiently comfortable to ask about any concerns they may have.

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Tell your child you believe they can do it -

A bit of encouragement can go a long way. Let your child know that you believe they can do it. This may be enough to produce great results!

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Use the "rapid return" technique -

If your child gets out of bed and comes to find you, the technique is to restore them to their bed without much communication, if any. The idea is that, eventually, they will tire themselves out.

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Be uncommunicative at night -

If your child feels like they are missing out on something by going to bed while you are still awake, you can stop this by being very boring with them at night!

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Allow your child to discover their body clock -

At some point, your child will learn all about their body clock. Experiment with allowing them an alarm clock to see if this works well for them.

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Give your child a stuffed animal to sleep with -

A child can be greatly reassured by having a stuffed animal by their side. They may feel scared in the night if they wake up unexpectedly.

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Keep a drink by their bed -

Keeping a drink by your child's bedside will mean that they won't need to get out of bed in the middle of the night if they are dehydrated.

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Keep a "sleepy" drink by their bed -

Just some water with a few drops of camomile extract will suffice. This will not have much more than a placebo effect, but if your child believes it will work, it may well do so!

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Writing in the night -

If your child is being troubled in their sleep, ask them to write down the reasons why, in case they forget by the time they wake up.

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Introduce your child to waking up at a certain time -

Whether it is an alarm clock, natural light, or artificial light, allow your child to get accustomed to waking up at a specific time in the morning.

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Give your child a "sleepy pad" -

Consider giving your child a small pad or handkerchief with a drop of lavender oil on it to keep beside their pillow, in case they wake up in the night.

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And finally... keep rewarding! -

As covered earlier, the best way for a child to feel appreciated is to reward them. Make sure that your child is regularly rewarded for sleeping well.

Click here to read about some incredible sleepy wildlife moments!

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