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Do you have trouble getting your child to sleep at night? Maybe it’s time to reinvent your routine. Samuel Clot, author of the book Father at Home (Hachette), provides some very practical tips for helping your child fall asleep.
Samuel Clot, known under the pseudonym samuel_clt on social networks and author of the book “Stay-at-home dad” (Hachette), is a fulfilled young father. Like all other parents, he sometimes had difficulty putting his son, Gaspard, aged 5, to sleep. But instead of getting impatient and angry, this young Dad favors other solutions.
Establish routines, avoid sugar and screens
First point and not least: prepare to fall asleep. Because yes, this one is being prepared! Children actually need a well-established routine to feel safe (for example: doing their homework, taking a shower, eating dinner, brushing their teeth, reading a story and falling asleep).
“The first thing I advise is to set up routines, with a sequence of things, which allow the child to frame the sequences to bring him little by little to the last stage which is the falling asleep“, assures Samuel Clot.
Then, there are two pieces of advice that I give regularly and which seem important to me: avoid sugar at the end of a meal and after a meal; but also to avoid screens after a meal. These are two things that prevent you from falling asleep properly or in any case that do not have a relaxing and calming effect for the child, continues the young father.
Favor quiet time (reading, music)
Léa’s companion (@jenesuispasjoli) adds that he always includes a little moment of relaxation (or pleasure) in this evening routine.
“There is a tool that we use every evening with Gaspard: a device for listening to music or audio stories. Otherwise, we use Spotify, launching a playlist of calm music after its reading time“, specifies Samuel Clot.
Consult a doctor online for your sleep problems
Don’t get upset at bedtime
Finally, the young father indicates that the main thing during this falling asleep routine is to “not to build tension and not to get angry”… Especially when your child tells you “I don’t want to sleep, I’m not tired“.
The idea is rather to say “I’ll take you back, you’ll get there, I believe in you, in short, stay positive!”
All you have to do is apply all these good tips.
In summary, Samuel Clot’s advice:
- Establish routines;
- Include a “pleasure” moment in these routines;
- Avoid sugar before bed;
- Avoid screens before sleeping;
- Don’t get upset and always be positive!