You’re sound asleep until you hear footsteps enter your room and a little voice saying, “Mom!” You glance at the clock and see that it’s only 1AM in the morning. While there is no quick fix to keep your child comfortably in bed through the night, there are 6 sleep strategies you can experiment with to help your child through the night.
As you prepare to try the strategies, set realistic expectations and goals. The goal is to help your entire family get a safe and restful night. That may look differently than a full night of sleep. It may look like a child quietly playing in their bedroom or sitting and bed reading a book. For you, that may look like resting in bed while watching your child on the baby monitor. Many sleep resources prioritize strategies for helping your child sleep through the night. These are fantastic goals and resources, but the best type of rest is when the entire family is getting adequate rest. When you consider sleep strategies, keep the entire family in mind. If a sleep strategy isn’t working for the entire family, then it isn’t the right fit.
It takes a lot of time and experimentation to find strategies that work for the entire family. Be prepared, the needs of an entire family are constantly changing, which means that effective sleep strategies will be constantly changing. Lean into the idea of change and experimentation. Having the mindset of experimenting with strategies to fit the needs of the entire family provides you with the freedom to think creatively. It also helps provide yourself with permission to put your sleep needs as a priority.
If you’ve experienced sleepless nights and felt frustration and isolation set in, know this – you are not alone. At 1AM, you can find community in knowing that parents across the globe are awake with you. Motherhood does not need to be experienced in isolation. Together, we can support each other and find creative solutions.
6 Sleep Strategies for Better Rest for the Entire Family
- Keep a basket of books or quiet toys next to your child’s bed. Select items that are not readily available during the day in order to help increase the novelty of the items.
- Adjust the lighting: Experiment with brighter night lights, darker night lights, different colored night lights, or blackout shades.
- Prep the midnight snacks: Keep a basket of safe, age appropriate, snacks next to your child’s bed. Don’t forget to include a water bottle!
- Scent: Put one of your t-shirts (that smells like you!) on a teddy bear for your child to snuggle with at night. (Please check with a medical professional before using over-the-counter scented products sold to assist with sleep.)
- Experiment with sound: Experiment with music, fans, sound machines, or a recording of you reading a story.
- Create a safe play zone: Ensure your child’s bedroom is a safe space for them to be able to play quietly during the night. Check to make sure outlets are covered, cords are safely routed, furniture is anchored, among other safety precautions.
Remember, the key is experimentation. If one of these strategies don’t work on the first attempt, make adjustments and try again. If you are having a difficult time finding strategies that work, make one change at a time. For example, only make changes to the lighting until you find what works best before making changes to sound. This helps isolate factors so you can more easily identify your child’s preferences.
Keep reminding yourself of your new goal: A safe and restful night for the entire family.