{"id":1563,"date":"2014-04-21T06:31:50","date_gmt":"2014-04-21T13:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/?p=1563"},"modified":"2014-04-21T06:31:50","modified_gmt":"2014-04-21T13:31:50","slug":"curing-the-night-owl-uncovering-sleep-issues-your-child-may-be-struggling-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/2014\/04\/21\/curing-the-night-owl-uncovering-sleep-issues-your-child-may-be-struggling-with\/","title":{"rendered":"Curing the Night Owl: Uncovering Sleep Issues Your Child May Be Struggling With"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sleeping\"<\/a>If your child is up all hours of the night and unwilling to lay down and catch up on her beauty sleep, it\u2019s time to find a cure for your night owl. Although babies will often wake every three to six hours, your toddler and older children should be catching 10 to 12 hours of sleep each day.<\/p>\n

According to Jennifer Schindele, certified child sleep consultant and founder of the Gift of Sleep Consulting<\/a> in Philadelphia, Penn., setting expectations, enforcing strict bedtimes and ensuring your child is not reliant on sleep aids will help your tired little one drift into a sleep routine that is healthy and happy.<\/p>\n

Why Won\u2019t My Child Sleep?<\/b><\/p>\n

One of the most common sleep issues children face during the night is over-tiredness, says Schindele. If your child has a bedtime that does not allow for adequate sleep and she is not drifting into peaceful slumber with naps during the day, it\u2019s likely she is too worn out by the time you attempt to get her into her jammies.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, daytime naps and nighttime slumber are crucial partners in getting your child adequate sleep. \u201cDisrupted nighttime sleep can make it difficult for children of napping age to take great naps during the day,\u201d says Schindele. \u201cBoth combined can really create a vicious cycle of over-tiredness and frequent awakenings during naps and overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

If your child will only fall fast asleep with a pacifier, in the arms of mom or dad or with the nanny rocking her, it could disrupt sleep drastically. \u201cSleep props will actually cause babies and young children to wake frequently during the night as they have not yet developed a self soothing strategy to transition themselves in between sleep cycles,\u201d says Schindele.<\/p>\n

How to Cure the Night Owl<\/b><\/p>\n

If your night owl is keeping you and the entire family from getting much-needed sleep, Schindele recommends building his or her independence. \u201cThe most effective strategy to curing the resistance to fall asleep and the frequent wakings at night is to eliminate sleep props and allow the child time to fall asleep independently,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Remove the security blanket and pacifier, decrease the amount of time you spend soothing the child to sleep and gradually allow the child to learn how to fall asleep on her own.<\/p>\n

Your night owl will also fall faster into sleep slumber each night if she is being put to sleep at an age-appropriate time each night. \u201cCreating a consistent and solid bedtime routine leading up to being tucked into bed will give clear indicators to the baby or young child that sleep is approaching soon and begin to transition,\u201d says Schindele.<\/p>\n

Establishing sleep rules also helps reinforce expectations for night time.<\/p>\n

Schindele suggests the following sleep rules for toddlers and preschoolers:<\/p>\n