Getting your child to sleep in their own bed: A step-by-step guide

1. Figure out why they don't want to sleep on their own bed

If you're having trouble getting your child to sleep on their own bed, the first thing to do would be to figure out why they're having trouble doing so.

Sometimes, kids are afraid of the dark, or they might be afraid of noises that they hear during the night. Sometimes, they tend to wake up in the middle of the night, and have a hard time getting back to sleep.

Do some investigation, and try to figure out what's wrong. That way, you can find out a way to address your child's worries, so that they can be comfortable sleeping on their own.

2. Make it a routine

A good way to help get your child settled in to sleeping on their own bed would be to create a routine that would help them get used to sleeping on their own.

After dinner, you can let them play for about an hour, and then it's time to take a warm bath. Right after the bath, you can have storytime, and let them drink a glass of milk so they feel calm and relaxed, then you can put them to sleep.

Making a routine, and sticking to it helps create structure for your child, and it would make it easier for them to start sleeping on their own. Make sure that they feel safe and comfortable, so that they don't have any fear or anxiety about being alone in their room.

3. Teach them to self-soothe

Self-soothing is a way for your kids to fall asleep all on their own, and without your assistance. Self-soothing is important to teach your child, so that they can effectively get themselves to fall asleep without your help.

The sooner you can teach your child to self-soothe, the sooner they would be able to sleep on their own bed without any problems.

4. Be positive

It's can sometimes be difficult to help your child ease themselves into sleeping alone, especially if they have a habit of sleeping right beside you.

So it's important for parents to use positive instead of negative reinforcement so that their child would feel comfortable when it comes to sleeping. Using negative reinforcement or threats would only make things worse, so it's best to avoid that when it comes to letting your child sleep on their own.

5. It takes time

Like most things, teaching your child to sleep alone will take some time. It isn't something that you can just teach them and let them be, they need to first be comfortable with their sleeping environment, as well as the idea of sleeping alone.

Take your time, and don't try and rush your child, especially if you think that they're not yet ready.

6. Persistence is key

The important thing is not to give up, even if you're having a hard time getting your child to sleep all on their own. Different children have very different personalities, so what works for others might not work for your child.

Just remember to be persistent, and remember that you're doing this for your child, and not for yourself. At the end of the day, you need to create a long-term solution, and not just something temporary.

Source: newparent.com

*Republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines