Sleep routine

Instead of spending a period of time in bed with your child and waiting for them to fall asleep, we may add a period of time with some soothing and relaxing activities every night before your child’s regular bedtime, which is often called ‘bedtime routine’. Developing a regular and consistent bedtime routine that makes your child feel relaxed is recommended as the first step in a sleep intervention to improve your child’s sleep.

The routine could be started 15-30 minutes before the ideal bedtime. Such routine activities should be calming and should not be vigorous. Some of the suggested activities include helping your child to change his/her pyjamas, washing his/her face, reading a book, listening to soft music, etc. Activities involving electronic appliances like playing with smartphone and watching TV should be avoided. Foods containing caffeine or excessive liquids should also be avoided. A sleep diary may help you to find out which activities are the less stimulating for the children (i.e. the activities that would help the child to fall asleep at the targeted time). Also, activities that your child does not enjoy should not be scheduled into his or her bedtime routine so as to avoid conflicts between you and your child.

Tips for scheduling a helpful bedtime routine for your child:

1. After your child have adapted to such a routine for a few weeks, try to shorten the time by ten minutes for the next two weeks, and continue extending the time until it becomes thirty minutes before the bedtime.
2. Even when the routine activities are very relaxing for your child, try not to make them too long that will otherwise delay the regular bedtime. If your child seems to need more time winding down, try to start the bedtime routine earlier.
3. After your child have adapted to such a routine for a few weeks, try to shorten the time by ten minutes for the next two weeks, and continue extending the time until it becomes thirty minutes before the bedtime.
4. Over time, it may be helpful to add a small element of variation in the routine, such as listening to a different piece of soft music or wear a different pair of pyjamas, so that the routine does not become unbreakable for your child such that when they are not at home they are unable to sleep. This helps your child to generalize what he/she learned in a new situation, when things get a little different.
5. Ensure your child gets plenty of exercise and eats regular meals throughout the day so that your child will find it easier to get to sleep and won’t go to bed hungry.