When children can’t sleep

First of all, don’t despair, many babies and children don’t sleep through the night despite what some books may say.

When dealing with a sleepless child its important to be consistent, if you bring a wandering child back to it’s own bed instead of yours then do so every night or you’ll end up causing confusion. Stay with the child for a few minutes to help it feel more secure and put if you can put a spare bed in the room so that you can rest until it falls asleep.

If you allow your child to get into bed with you, consider putting pillows down on the floor beside the bed for safety; more than one sleepless child is likely to overcrowd the parental bed. Try letting non-sleepers share a room instead, so that they feel less lonely.

Don’t take a young baby into your bed after drinking alcohol or taking medication that could make you drowsy or sleep heavily; it’s possible that you could crush the baby or suffocate it without noticing. Let the baby sleep in a cot next to your bed instead.

Once children have gotten used to sharing the parental bed it can be hard to wean them away from it again. A small present from the ‘sleep fairy’ for several consecutive nights on their own can do wonders, or rewards such as staying up an extra ten minutes if they stop coming into you.

It is possible that sleeplessness is being caused by something simple. Perhaps the bedroom curtains let in too much light and the noise of a drip from the bathroom or the ticking from a clock may be disturbing your child’s sleep. Even your own checking up could be the problem, if so, consider installing an intercom so you can monitor your child from a different room.

Make sure that bedding and pyjamas are not too heavy or too light – both heat and cold can cause night time waking. Also perhaps leave a glass of water beside the bed in case of they wake up thirsty.

Never leave a child to scream in the night. Never lock its bedroom door or your own. You will make night-time fears worse and exacerbate the problem.

If the child has nightmares, turn over its pillow and explain that this is turning bad dreams away. The next morning, ask about any fears the child has and try to find out if something is wrong. Leave the room softly lit at night.

If your child is waking early don’t worry, there’s no reason an early riser can’t amuse themselves without disturbing the rest of the household. Set up safe toys on the bars of the cot for babies, and encourage school-age children to play in their rooms. Give them an alarm clock set for the time you wake and tell them that they must entertain themselves until the bell rings.