If children don’t sleep at night it can be exhausting for parents. If you’re tired it may be hard to look after your children as well as you’d like, so it’s important to help our children sleep well.

Healthy children will often sleep for as long as they need. It doesn’t matter if your child sleeps a lot more or a lot less than other children, as long as they seem healthy. But it does matter if you are becoming exhausted because your child is keeping you awake at night.

Establish a routine, for example

Try to establish routines when your child is young, and then there should be fewer problems as they grow older.

Make bedtime before your child gets overtired and teach your child to go bed awake – don’t let them fall asleep downstairs, in front of the TV etc. Make sure your child falls asleep in their bed or cot, not sitting up with you.

Try not to take your child back downstairs once they have been put down for the night. Make sure your child is not going to be hungry during the night.

Don’t excite your child just before bedtime- save active play for earlier in the day. But do try to encourage your child to be physically active during the day, then they will be more likely to sleep at night.

Leave a night light on, or use a dimmer switch, if your child is afraid of the dark.

Don’t send your child to bed as a punishment, as this could lead to sleep problems.

Difficulties settling at night – it’s important not to “reward” waking up by providing too much attention, reading a story etc. in attempts to get the child back to sleep.

If your older child has a sleep problem, the most effective way to solve it is to develop a consistent, relaxing bedtime routine for your child. Children like a predictable routine and will associate the routine with feeling sleepy and falling asleep.

Carry out a nightly routine of 4 or 5 quiet, relaxing activities. This could be anything you and your child enjoy doing together, for example

A drink and a biscuit

A cuddle

A story

A song

Listen to a music/ story tape.

Make the routine last about the same time each evening, about half an hour.

It’s a winding down time – time for calming activities and quiet voices.

Build in fun and enjoyment to the routine

Reward your child for completing the least enjoyable steps, (for example having a story after getting into bed, or having supper after getting a wash)

As far as possible, don’t do anything else whilst your child is getting to bed. Don’t watch TV, make phone calls, read the paper etc.

Once in bed, leave your child to fall asleep alone.

q Be clear about what is allowed if they can’t sleep (for example, they may listen to a story tape but must stay in bed)

q Say you will come up and see them again (in 5, 10 or 15 minutes), but they must stay in bed.

q Good nighttime behaviour can be encouraged if you notice it and give an immediate, reliable and pleasant response.

q Rewards can be anything that your child enjoys such as praise, hugs, sweets or toys.

q A star chart can be used to encourage older children to stay in bed and go back to sleep, or to play quietly on their own until you get up.

q If possible tell your child what they must do in order to get a reward

q Identity the behaviour specifically when rewarding your child, for example “good boy for sleeping through the night” rather than just “good boy”.

q Be consistent. (If you say they must stay in bed, they must)

q Make sure your partner or anyone else who shares childcare knows what you are doing.

q Explain to your child what they should be doing, as well as what they should not.

q Use praise and encouragement frequently.

q Ignore or penalise unacceptable night-time behaviour

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