Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: child + bedtime + help  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

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Can anything help my child settle at bedtime?

 Most children, like adults, go through times in their lives when they find it difficult to sleep. The commonest complaints are either difficulty getting to sleep or waking in the middle of the night and being unable to get back to sleep.

It can cause a lot of worry for both your child and you the parent, sometimes worrying about not being able to get to sleep becomes as much of a problem as the lack of sleep.

There are a few simple measures to try first - you may have already done some of these.

• First a few reassurances: Your child may think that because everyone else in the house seems to sleep well there must be something wrong with him or her. Reassure your child that this is a common problem and that it is not harmful - all the body needs is to rest lying down. Say you are going to try to help the sleeping to get back to normal.

• Check there is a bedtime routine with a winding down time of resting, not on the computer or TV games. Suggest a relaxing bath, reading, watching TV, playing cards or a board game or talking with you over a hot drink, for 20 minutes or so. Make sure the bed time is not too late as being overtired can make sleeping difficult.

• Find out if there is anything that could be done to improve sleeping arrangements. Examples are a change in the position of bed, a different mattress or pillow, a hot water bottle, bedside lamps, or having someone sleeping in the same room, or not if this is what already happens.

• Ask if there is anything that keeps your child awake, for example needing to go to the toilet, a ticking clock, noisy radiator or other 'house' noises.

You ask about herbal remedies. There are several herbal sedatives available which are safe for children - they include valerian, hops, passion flower and German chamomile. Part of their effectiveness may be the result of establishing a night time routine. Suggestions include:
• making a night time hot drink from chamomile, passion flower or valerian, perhaps combined with honey or lemon according to taste, or milk with nutmeg
• have a soak in a warm bath with lavender oil or just soak hands and feet in warm water infused with with oils from any of the herbs mentioned
• massaging hands, arms, feet, head and neck, with lemon balm and almond oil or lavender massage oil
• sleeping with a lavender pillow tucked into the normal pillow or a few drops of lavender oil on the pillow

Remember to avoid stimulant drinks containing caffeine, towards the end of the day. These include tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks and many other commercial drinks - check the contents on the label.

Keep a diary or wall chart of how the nights progress over a week or two. Think about letting your child sleepover at a close friend or relative's house as sleeping may be better on such occasions which in itself will be reassuring.

Sometimes anxiety or even depression can stop a child sleeping - there may be other signs such as difficulty concentrating and failing school performance, low confidence and self esteem or poor appetite.

If you think this could be happening it would be worth talking to his or her teachers at school to see if they have noticed a change or whether they have picked up on any worries your child might have. The teachers will also need to know if your child is not sleeping, as tiredness in itself will affect performance at school.

If you think he or she may be over anxious or depressed or if the sleeping does not improve make an appointment with the GP who can refer them to the child psychiatry team if necessary.

The team have professionals who are experienced in helping with sleep problems; in some areas they or the local health visitors run sleep clinics specifically to help with this problem.

We recommend readers seek personal medical attention in appropriate circumstances.