Do you have any tips for getting a child to sleep through the night?
"Depending on the age of the child, the amount of activity and stimulation during the day seems to make a difference in the quality of and amount of sleep achieved at night. With our little ones, if they haven't had a nap or have outgrown their nap and have a “big day” with more activity than normal, then they seem more prone to waking in the night. On days like this, I start the bedtime routine earlier to give them more of a chance to settle down for the night."
- Sandra
"My son, who is 8 now, really liked staying up till 11 p.m. What I did was made sure that he had enough to eat at dinner and then read him a bedtime story. That usually made him relax and know that Mom was right there. Hope this works for some of you."
- Kathy
"My daughter had trouble from the transition of being at my house and her father's house. She is 2 and she would wake up around 4 or 5 every morning for two to three days after coming back. I figured out it is essential for them to get plenty of exercise, too. She started copying me when I would work out, and we would also go outside for at least an hour every day. Now her naps are better and she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night."
- Amanda
"Every night we (my 3-year-old and I) follow the same routine. First we bathe, then we brush his teeth and rinse with flouride, then we slip into a pull-up and some pajamas and settle in with Dr. Seuss' The Sleep Book. The book talks about different characters that are going to bed and that they are happy to go to bed because they are tired. Then we say our prayers and sing "Goodnight Sweetheart" followed by hugs and kisses. He usually stays in bed and sleeps well. We've also discovered that it helps to not give him a drink 1/2 hour before bed, therefore the wetness doesn't wake him up. Oh, and we've begun waking him up after two or three hours to go potty! It has worked for us!"
- Melissa
