Helping Your Preschooler Sleep

You knew you would be sleep deprived when you had a newborn, but is your preschooler still giving you problems sleeping?  Unfortunately I see this all too often.  Sometimes the child has never slept well and sometimes they were a good sleeper until something happened like a new sibling, a move, or a sickness.  I am here to tell you there are things you can do to get your older child to sleep so you can sleep too!

Involving Your Child

With older children, you want to involve them in the process of getting good sleep.  Sleep should not be a punishment.  With older children you should discuss how important sleep is with them.  Explain how their body needs rest to grow and be healthy.  Tell them how much more fun they will have the next day after they get a good night sleep.  You can also tell them if you get a good nights sleep, you will be happier the next day and have more energy to play with them (it's the truth right?!).  It may be helpful to have a family meeting with your child and discuss this with them at a time when everyone is happy and well-rested.

Clocks

I usually recommend a clock that changes color in the morning if your child cannot tell time.  There are many different clocks and you can just pick the one you think will work best for your child.  Some clocks just show pictures of the sun or the moon, some can help your children tell time!

Sticker Charts

Sticker Charts can also work well with older children. You can put 4 or 5 manners down that your child should follow.  Talk about the chart before bedtime and again in the morning.  Charts like this are convenient because they outline your expectations and are an easy way to keep track of how your child is doing.

Give Them Some Choices

Get your children involved in making bedtime restful too.  Sit down with them and see what they would like to see at bedtime and decide what you can do to remove power struggles.  Is it hard to get your child to brush their teeth?  See if you can do it earlier in the routine.  Remember to not give too many choices. 

How much sleep does your child need?

A 3 year old needs around 10.5 hours of sleep at night and a 1.5 hour nap

A 4 year old needs 11.5 hours of sleep at night, and some still take naps.

A 5 year old needs 11 hours of sleep at night.

6, 7, and 8 year olds need between 10 1/4 to 10 3/4 of sleep at night.

A 9 year old needs 10 hours of sleep at night.

Note these are averages, some children will need more than the average and some will need less.  

Don't worry -you can get the sleep you and your child need to be happy and healthy and I can help!