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Whether it’s navigating the “witching hour” with a newborn or trying to negotiate with a toddler to get him into bed, every parent knows how challenging sleep time with little ones can be.
Now a child’s sleep professional has revealed the biggest mistakes parents make at bedtime and shared her top tip for doing so keep children warm at night as winter approaches.
Early parenting expert Jen Hamilton has told Daily Mail Australia that attempts to put little ones to sleep, such as petting or rocking, actually overstimulate them.
Jen, the CEO and creator of the WOT Baby Method said: ‘In this rush to ‘get’ your little one to sleep with lots of help, it’s easy to do the opposite and overstimulate him.’
Jen, early parenting expert, CEO and creator of the WOT Baby Method, has revealed the most common mistake parents make at bedtime
“To help your baby fall asleep, set a bedtime before bedtime that includes rocking, stroking, feeding, pacifier sucking, a combination of all of these things, and then repeat.”
“As babies grow and develop, all of these things can stop working because they become more stimulating to their little active minds instead of soothing them like they did when they were a newborn.”
Jen also said that indecisiveness and inconsistency, as well as delaying tactics seen as children grow, can negatively impact their ability to sleep.
The child expert discusses how toddlers try to negotiate bedtime and what to do about it, and shares a tip for keeping kids warm at night as winter approaches
‘To help your child fall asleep, bedtime can be filled with bedtime stories, drinking water, brushing teeth, drinking even more water, lots of negotiating about things before leaving the room, a hug and long time with him or her lie down before going to sleep. leave the room, drink more water and negotiate more,” Jen said.
‘All this indecisiveness is overstimulating for little ones and what they really need is a healthy bedtime and bedtime routine, where you connect with them before they go to bed and set consistent boundaries around bedtime.’
One problem that many parents struggle with is what to wear at night. With winter approaching, falling temperatures can cause additional confusion for parents.
That’s what Jen said Love to Dream sleep suits are “a great option for sleep support as your child grows and develops.”
The brand, loved by thousands of Australian parents, recently launched a new collection of merino wool to keep babies and children warm at night in winter.
The new range of sleeping suits and sleeping bags are made with a luxuriously soft organic cotton lining and a 30 percent merino wool filling.
As Jen explained, “Blankets and loose bedding in a crib are not safe for infants and very small children and are strongly discouraged by Red Nose and healthcare professionals. When small children go to a bed to sleep, you will find that most do not stay under the covers because they are not familiar with it, sleeping freely without the feeling of sleeping covered.’
The WOT Baby expert says that until your kids are old enough to sleep with blankets, “you can rest assured that your little one will be cozy and warm all night long in a Love to Dream sleepsuit.”
The Love to Dream sleeping bags and suits are perfect for babies from six months and the sleepsuits go up to size 4.
Jen said the legs in the Love To Dream sleep suits are a ‘fantastic and practical’ feature. Addition: ‘Your child can move freely in this and stays warm and cozy when he gets up in the morning for breakfast.’
Except some kids to dress before bedtimeOne of the most common problems parents face at bedtime is negotiating tactics.
The Sydney mum said: ‘Toddlers are really good at negotiating. And you can negotiate with a terrorist, but you can’t negotiate with a toddler!
‘They’ll ask for another book twenty times! they will demand that “Daddy” put them to bed tonight, they will beg you to come lie with them, they will ask for more water than a camel needs in the desert, they will ask to turn on the light, then lights out and then they repeat their request list. And this is all before they get out of bed 10 times before demanding another drink of water.
Toddlers need to feel connected to you before they go to bed. Cuddling, playing, reading books, drinking water, brushing teeth – it all happens before you go to bed. “When it’s time for bed/the lights go out,” they need you, their parents, to set the healthy boundary of no more negotiating – go to sleep!”
The Sydney mum explains why parents should play quietly before bed and what the difference is between normal play
When it comes to bedtime play, Jen explained that there are different types of play and parents should be aware of how to interact with their children before bed.
‘WOTBaby always recommends quiet playtime before naps and bedtime. This eliminates sleep associations from becoming habits. Your little one is always wide awake when he goes down to sleep and can then go through the sleep processes instead of being put to sleep by association by rocking or patting.’ Jen said.
‘The WOTBaby tools and routines will guide you on how and when to implement ‘quiet play’ and it is very different from ‘active play’ which we recommend before feeding and after bedtime. Implementing the two different play modes shows your baby what time it is and promotes healthy sleep.’
For more information about WOTBaby click here.