Children crave sequences. From birth, they will feel more safe and confidence if you understand that "when this happens, then it is necessary." Regardless of whether your child is a newborn, baby or schoolboy, your family will benefit from his strong sleep if you undertake your obligation to set the routine of the day.
Develop the routine of the day, not the schedule
Strict schedules are not needed and even may be harmful, especially if the child is still small. For example, infants are needed flexibility that is accompanied by feeding at the request and compliance with the relevant age of waking windows. Attempts to force the child to adapt to a certain sleep mode often tire it, which can potentially lead to a worsening of sleep for the whole family. Instead of following hard graphics during the day, create a free schedule based on the classes that you will adhere to constantly every day. The predictable routine of the day not only helps to fall asleep, but also in the long run can configure your child to success in a social and academic plan. The easiest way to install the routine of the day is to focus on the morning awakening of the child, reception of food, activity, time before bedtime and sleep. As your child becomes older, you will probably include additional classes in your routine.
Morning time awakening
It is very helpful to establish a constant time for morning awakening and the associated routine of the day. Although we want to be flexible and allow the "graphics" to change every day, constant morning lifting time helps the child is better to fall asleep. Increasing this aspiration or pressure during sleep, babies can better sleep longer during the day. When babies turn into kids, the set of awakening time in the morning helps to avoid radiation resistance, and also provides a reasonable time of waste to sleep. When your baby wakes up, make a simple routine of the day so that he realize that it is time to start your day. Start with the fact that we enter the room with a bright "good morning!" Then open the blinds, turn on the light and take the child to the hands to hug and change the diaper. After the first few weeks of life, the natural time of morning awakening is most likely to be set somewhere between 6 and 7 in the morning. The construction of the schedule based on these two permanent times of your day will naturally make your day more predictable.
When you start adding hard food, try to offer food about the same time every day.
Photo: unsplash.com.
Food
Even before the child starts eating hard food, it is useful to establish what is happening before and after feeding with milk. For example: awakening, feeding, belching, resting time. When you start adding hard food, try to offer food for about the same time every day in similar circumstances. For example: wakefulness, breastfeeding, time for games, solid feeding, time for games. As they become older and if they have discomfort in the stomach, you can also highlight enough time for proper digestion between meals and sleep. A simple procedure for feeding solid food children can begin with ads: "It's time to breakfast!" Then you sit down on a chair with nave bibs, feed, hanging out with them and looking into your eyes, and end with a demonstration of a blank plate and a conversation in the process of cleaning. Food reception modes provide excellent opportunities to communicate with your baby, which contributes to a more relaxed transition during sleep.
Physical activity for kids
All children need regular physical exertion to study normally, grow and develop. As the baby becomes a baby, and he learns to walk, it becomes more important to provide regular physical activity to help him get rid of excess energy. If possible, try your baby to engage in physical activity at least 20-30 minutes every morning and evening. Performing exercises in the fresh air gives an additional advantage, as it gives them the natural light that their circadian rhythm is needed for good sleep.
Before bedtime
As the day comes to an end and you look forward to when your child is going to sleep at night, do not forget about the routine before bedtime. Reliable routine of the day before bedtime perfectly supports full night rest for the whole family. Make sure you have allocated enough time for all the steps that you need to perform before you go to bed by starting "work in the opposite direction." For example, if your child goes to bed at 20:00, and the waste procedure usually takes you 30 minutes from beginning to end, you need to start it by 19:30. Then you can plan in advance so that this time is completed walking, games and dinner. Try to have classes that begin immediately before bedtime, as calm and relaxed as possible. For all age groups, this may include time for a quiet game in a room with partially dotted curtains.
Here is an example of a routine before bedtime:
17:00 Outdoor Games
17:20 Time for placing games
17:45 Dinner
18:15 Quick time for placing games
19:00 bed
Sleeping mode
All the work you have invested in the routine of the day are needed for this item. If you helped your baby understand the pattern "When this happens, it means that it is necessary" throughout the day, the next step before going to bed will become natural relaxation. This will help reduce fear before bedtime, anxiety and resistance, and will also configure you both on a strong sleep every night. In fact, the 2017 study showed that setting the sleep mode can improve sleep results and increase sleep duration in just 3 nights! We recommend that you set the time of waste from 5 to 10 minutes from the very birth, increasing it to 20-30 minutes in about 3 month. You should strive to stick to this 20-30-minute routine of waste to sleep during the entire period of preschool age and after it, although the steps included in your routine may change when your baby becomes older. Sleep mode is individual and unique for each family. However, there are several key building blocks that you can include in the waste routine of your own family at any age:
Bath. Many families love to take a bath every night. In other families, children do not help. In any case, if you decide to turn on the bath in your routine of the day, you do not need to do it every night - this method can remain flexible from the night to the night.
Change clothes. A simple act of selection of pajamas and her putting on offers another opportunity to help the kids understand the pattern "when this happens, then it is necessary."
Massage. And babies, and kids can enjoy a light massage every night. For babies try massage of belly or hands. For kids try back massage or feet.
Books. Reading the same books every night in the same order helps to ensure comfort and intimacy. It also helps the child to perceive books like pleasant things, which creates the basis for learning a diploma in the future. If your baby seems to be fussy when you read him a book, let him hold another book or toy while you read. You can also read or tell stories, walking with them on your hands on the room.
If your baby seems fussy when you read him a book, let him hold another book or toy Photo: unsplash.com.
Songs. The singing of the same songs every night in the same order serves one goal - greater comfort.
Sleep phrase. Use the same phrase to sleep immediately before bedtime every night will help your child understand what it's time to sleep. Simple: "Good night, strong sleep! Mom loves you, "is of great importance. Regular use of phrases for sleep will help your child to understand sleep routine. You give them another opportunity to feel comfort and calm, telling what it is happening and what will happen next.
conclusions
If you are experiencing any difficulties with your baby, it is really worth making sure that you have installed a consistent and predictable routine of the day - both in the afternoon and at night. Helping your child to learn the rhythm and model of life of your family, you also help him know when and how he should sleep. It will absolutely will definitely lead to the best sleep for them and for you now and in the long run.