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Whether it’s navigating the “witching hour” with a newborn or trying to negotiate a toddler into bed, every parent knows how difficult bedtime with little ones can be.
Now, a children’s sleep professional has revealed the biggest mistakes parents make at bedtime and shared her top advice for keep kids warm at night as winter approaches.
Early parenting expert Jen Hamilton told Daily Mail Australia that efforts to get little ones to sleep, such as patting them or rocking them, may actually be overstimulating them.
Jen, who is the CEO and creator of WOT method for babies said, “In this rush to ‘get’ your little one to sleep with lots of help, you can easily do the opposite and overstimulate him.”
Jen, early parenting expert, CEO and creator of the WOT Baby Method, has revealed the most common bedtime mistake parents make.
“To help your baby fall asleep, you can set a bedtime for him or her by rocking, stroking, feeding, sucking on a pacifier, a combination of all of these things, and then repeat.”
“As babies grow and develop, all of these things can stop working, as they become more stimulating to their active little minds rather than calming them as they did when they were newborns.”
Jen also said that indecisiveness and inconsistency, as well as delaying tactics seen as children get older, can negatively impact their ability to sleep.
The kids expert discusses how toddlers try to negotiate bedtime and what to do about it, plus shares a tip for keeping kids warm at night as winter approaches.
‘To help your child sleep, bedtime can be filled with bedtime stories, drinks of water, brushing teeth, more drinks of water, lots of negotiating things before leaving their room, a hug and a long rest with him before you “Leave the room, more drinks of water, and more negotiations,” Jen said.
“All this indecision is overstimulating for little ones and what they really need is a bedtime and a healthy bedtime routine, where you connect with them before bed and set consistent limits at bedtime.” .
One issue many parents struggle with is how to dress children at night, and with winter approaching, cold temperatures can provide an additional level of confusion for parents.
jen said that Love to Dream Sleepsuits They are “a great option to help with sleep as your child grows and develops.”
The brand, loved by thousands of Australian parents, recently launched a new merino wool collection to keep babies and children warm at night in winter.
The new range of sleep suits and sleeping bags are made with a luxuriously soft organic cotton lining and 30 per cent merino wool filling.
As Jen explained: ‘Blankets and loose bedding inside a crib are not safe for babies and very young children and are not recommended by Red Nose and health professionals. When young children move into bed to sleep, you will find that most do not stay under the covers as they are not familiar with them, and sleep freely without the feeling of being covered.’
WOT’s baby expert says that until your kids are old enough to sleep with blankets, “you can rest assured that your little one will be comfortable and warm all night in a Love to Dream pajamas.”
He Love to Dream sleeping bags and suits They are perfect for babies six months and up and the sleepsuits go up to size 4.
Jen said the legs in the Love To Dream Sleepsuits They are a “fantastic and practical” feature. Adding: “Your child can move around freely in these and will stay warm and comfortable when he gets up for breakfast in the morning.”
Apart from what to dress children before bedOne of the most common problems parents face at bedtime is negotiation tactics.
The Sydney-based mother said: ‘Little children are very good at negotiating. And you can negotiate with a terrorist, but not with a small child!
‘They will ask me for one more book, 20 times! They will demand that “Daddy” put them to bed tonight, they will beg you to sleep with them, they will ask for more water than a camel needs in dessert, they will ask to turn on the light, then turn it off, and then repeat their list of requests. And all this before they get out of bed 10 times before demanding another drink of water.
Young children need to feel a connection with you before bed. Hugging, playing games, reading books, drinking water, brushing your teeth… all of this happens before bed. ‘When it’s time to sleep/the lights go out,’ they need you, your parents, to set the healthy boundary of no more negotiations: go to sleep!’
This Sydney mum explains why parents should turn to quiet play before bed and the difference between normal play
When it comes to playing before bed, Jen explained that there are different types of play and that parents should consider how they should interact with their children before bed.
‘WOTBaby always recommends playing quietly before naps and bedtime. This eliminates sleep associations from becoming habits. Your little one is always wide awake when you go to bed to sleep and can then transition through sleep processes rather than being “put to sleep” through association through rocking or patting. Jen said.
‘WOTBaby resources and routines will guide you on how and when to implement “quiet play” and is very different from the “active play” we recommend before breastfeeding and after sleep. Implementing the two different types of play will show your baby what time it is and promote healthy sleep.’
For more information about WOTBaby click here.
