Turn off electronic stimulation in your child’s bedroom at least one hour before bedtime.Encourage quiet activities like reading a book or magazine, drawing, writing, playing card games or doing puzzles. Allow plenty of time – for example, 40 minutes – for your child to have a wind-down before turning off the lights to go to sleep.Discourage late-night eating, and encourage your child to have a healthy breakfast.For example, on weekends a sleep-in of an hour is OK, but it’s best to avoid longer sleep-ins. This can help get your child’s body clock into a regular rhythm. Encourage your child to go to bed and get up around the same time every day.Here are some ideas to help your child get to sleep earlier: How do I get my child to sleep before midnight? If your child is snoring or very restless overnight, see your GP to have your child checked for a sleep problem. But if your child is sleeping the right amount for their age, waking up grumpy might mean that your child isn’t getting good-quality sleep.

The most likely reason for your child waking up grumpy is that your child hasn’t had enough sleep. What does it mean if my child wakes up grumpy? Or you could encourage your child to do something quiet, like reading with you or looking at picture books by themselves. If your child won’t have a daytime nap, try to give your child some quiet time resting in their room. If you’re having bedtime struggles, try letting your child have a shorter nap earlier in the day – for example, a nap after lunch. Naps can range from 30 minutes to around two hours. Most children have stopped napping by five years if they’re getting enough sleep at night. When should a child stop napping? How long should a nap be?Ībout a quarter of children stop napping by three years. See your GP if your child continually snores, stops breathing during sleep, works hard to breathe, breathes through their mouth, tosses and turns at night, or sweats a lot overnight. Obstructive sleep apnoea causes your child to stop breathing for short periods during sleep. If the snoring doesn’t go away and happens most nights, even when your child is well, it could be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea. It’ll usually sort itself out when the cold has gone. Snoring can be caused by a cold or a blocked nose. Check your child’s sleep habits and always see your GP if you’re concerned.

Most primary school-age children wake by themselves in the morning if they’re getting enough sleep. If you have to wake your child in the morning, it might be because they’re not getting enough sleep for a school-age child. Why do I have to wake my school-age child for school? If the jerks are repetitive rather than just one or two quick movements, or if they happen throughout the night, you should check with your GP. Tiredness, stress or lack of sleep might make them worse, so it can be worth checking your child’s sleep habits. Up to 70% of children and grown-ups have sleep starts. These twitches are probably ‘sleep starts’ – quick jerks of the arms and legs that happen as your child falls asleep. You can check the recommended amount of sleep for your child’s age in these articles: Is my child getting enough sleep? How much sleep do different ages need?ĭifferent children need different amounts of sleep, so it can be hard to know whether your child is getting enough. You should also see your GP if you’re worried that your child has a medical condition or illness that’s affecting their sleep. But you should see your GP if you’re worried that sleep problems are affecting your child’s wellbeing, schoolwork or relationships. There are many simple things you can do to help children sleep better. Children need enough good-quality sleep for health, wellbeing, growth and learning.

I want to go to sleep now