Nighttime Routine Important To Good Night's Sleep, Doctor Says
Just about every parent has tried to put their baby to sleep through the night.
WBAL-TV 11's newest mother, 11 News Today anchorwoman Marilyn Getas reported some tips in Tuesday's Caring For Kids report.
Mya Younger is a healthy and active 2-year-old. Like most children her age, playtime is the best time of the day. But bedtime is another story.
Up until two weeks ago, Mya was sleeping with her mom and dad. Now she's trying to learn how to sleep by herself -- all night -- in her own bed.
"It [has] been difficult, but we had to just stick to our guns and keep her in the crib, and that was the hardest part," Mya's mom, Kelli, said.
Dr. Brenda Hussey Gardner, with the University of Maryland's Hospital for Children said most children can be taught to sleep through the night -- but parents need to take the first step.
"The child will cry and scream and your heart will break because it's the first time you've allowed your child to cry, but they'll go back to sleep," Gardner said.
Gardner said part of the problem is getting the child to settle down before it's time to go to sleep.
She offers the following sleeping tips:
Gardner said a bedtime routine is the most important tip and suggested "maybe a bath, reading a story, singing lullabies, maybe a snack, something that is replicated every night in the same way" would help.
Those nightly rituals are working for little Mya. She and her parents are finally sleeping through the night, Getas reported.
And it's important for parents to remember that when kids are sick, the rules go out the window and you can give them the love and attention they need. Parents are likely to have a couple of rough nights getting their children back into the routine, but it'll never be as hard as the first time.
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