Nanny to Mommy

Babies are known for not being able to sleep very well. However, most babies grow out of this habit as they become toddlers and young children. Nevertheless, your child still might have some sleeping issues as they grow up. It's not wildly uncommon to see children aged 3-5 struggling with their sleep, leading to days full of tiredness and some pretty bleak nights. So, how do you help a child that's struggling to sleep? Here's a three-step process that you can try: 

The majority of small children can't sleep because of two issues: 

- They're afraid of the dark

- They're scared of sleeping alone 

In most cases, these are the only two reasons that a child struggles to sleep - it's rarely due to issues that adults face, like stress and anxiety. Therefore, if you want to fix your child's sleeping problems, you need to figure out which one of these issues is the culprit. It might only be one, but it could be both. Speak to your child and they will soon express why they can't sleep. From here, you can move on to either of the next two steps. 

For a small period, you could sleep with your child to keep them company. This helps them feel safe and protected as you're watching over them. Start by sharing a bed, then maybe move to a bed on the floor, before finally moving out of the room altogether. If you have multiple children, getting them to sleep in the same room can also help. 

Of course, you can't sleep in the same room as them forever, so where do you go next? Well, it's a case of giving your child a little companion to keep them company while they sleep. Some kids have blankets, or you can get something like this plush Spongebob Squarepants for them to cuddle. Plushies tend to work best as you can let your child choose one that they like the most. This is basically a comfort companion that they sleep with, helping them feel safe. They should eventually grow out of it when they're older, but you can keep the blanket or plushy as a cute memory! 

If darkness is stopping your child from sleeping, the easiest remedy is a night light. Get one that's dimmable, so you can adjust the brightness over time. The idea is that a dim light keeps the dark away from your child, so they have nothing to fear. Gradually, you darken the light until your child is able to get over their fear and sleep without a light at all. Like the previous tips, it's such a simple way of addressing an issue that can cause lots of harm to your child. A little night light is all it takes to deal with a child that can't sleep because they're afraid of the dark. 

To sum up: figure out why your child can't sleep, then take steps to address that specific issue. It will most likely be either of the two things mentioned earlier or both of them!