With small steps against sleep problems in children

Problems falling asleep and staying asleep are common in children. Even a baby can develop habits that lead to sleep problems without its parents noticing. Small changes in steps can then help to change this behavior.

“If a baby has got used to only falling asleep with a father or mother lying next to him, it always demands this ritual – even if it wakes up in between. Here parents should gradually ‘wean’ the child. In the beginning, one parent should no longer lie in bed, but sit on the bed, then switch to a chair in order to finally leave the room and let the child fall asleep alone, “explains Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Nentwich, pediatrician and member of the scientific advisory board at the Professional Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ).

Sleep problems in babies and children are not always immediately apparent

Documentation of sleep behavior can provide information about the individual sleep needs of a child. For example, many parents don’t know that it is normal for preschoolers to take around 20 minutes and elementary school children and teenagers to fall asleep in around 30 minutes. “With older children it is important, among other things, that they only use the bed to sleep and not for other activities such as watching television or doing homework,” explains Professor Nentwich.

Relaxation can also make it easier to fall asleep. A children’s massage can have a sleep-promoting effect in small children and Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation for older children, and sometimes cognitive behavioral therapy is also effective.

The following measures are part of good sleep hygiene:

• Maintain regular sleep-wake times.
• Maintain a consistent ritual before going to sleep (e.g. reading aloud, audition, etc.)
• Reduce irritation in the last hour before going to bed (no loud noises, no bright lights, etc.).
• Ensure a quiet and darkened sleeping environment. When children wake up at night, parents should also watch out for minor irritation.
• From the age of five, children should no longer sleep during the day. If young people want to lie down briefly, they should not do so in the late afternoon and only for a maximum of 20 to 30 minutes.
• If children suffer from long-term sleep disorders or / and display unusual behavior during sleep, parents should definitely take their child to the pediatrician.

READING TIP: The gentle way to make it easier for children to fall asleep on their own.