Categories: Pregnancy & Parenting

4 Tips How to Train Your Child To Sleep On His Own

Yohoo! I am HAPPY today.

 

Finally, my boy is able to sleep on his own after 7 years I had accompanied him.

 

My boy had been sleeping with me and my hubby since he was a baby.

 

Well, he doesn’t have his own room as we live in a medium range house with insufficient room to spare.

 

Hence, after 7 years of sleeping together in the same room, my boy is adapted to have me sleep by his side, accompany him to sleep until the next morning.

 

Now that he is 7 years old, my mother in-law decided to move out since she had bought a new house at a nother district.

 

My hubby told me that this is a golden opportunity to train my son to break this bad habit and get him to sleep on his own ( in my mother-in-law’s emptied room).

 

 

He said that I had to be consistent and stick to my stand, not to give in even if my son pleaded or whine.

 

Otherwise, he will never learn to let go of me.

 

# He is not independent, can’t leave him alone even for a second

# He has lack of confidence, needed my consent to agree before he does anything. He is afraid of failures.

# Fearing over the slightest mistake, bugs and everything.

 

After trials and mistakes over a year, I had realized that it is better to start early, separating your child from sleeping with parents.

 

Once your child is attached to parents companionship, smell and telling bedtime stories, it is EXTREMELY difficult to break the bonding overnight.

 

It takes a lot of time, effort and stern discipline of both sides to train your child into sleeping on his own.

 

#1- New Bedroom

 

Before bedtime starts, you need to give him confidence and comfort.

 

Show him the new room, new bed, his stuffs and toys , his pillows , bolsters and blanket are neatly placed and turn the bedroom into a comfortable bedroom.

 

Install a dim light or bedside lamp incase he is afraid of the dark.

 

Make sure the bedroom lights, ceiling fan, air-cond ( if applicable), bathroom (or toilet) are functioning well.

 

Allow him to stay in his bedroom during the day so that he is able to adapt to the new environment.

 

If possible, let him take a nap in his new bedroom during the day.

At least, he had slept once without your companionship before bedtime.

 

#2- Talking

During the day, try talking to him about sleeping on his own in his new bedroom.

Educate your child that parents should be sleeping together and kids should be sleeping in their own bedrooms .

Tell your child some good examples of his older siblings, cousins and his friends who had been sleeping on their own since childhood days.

You can also create your own story or get a storybook about his favorite character sleeping on his own.

He may imitate the exact steps taken by his hero because he wanted to be the same too.

 

#3- Before Bedtime

30minutes before bedtime, instruct your child to brush his teeth, wash up, urinate, get into his pyjamas and head into his bedroom for “warm up time”.

It is impossible for your child to go straight to sleep immediately because he is used to sleep with you for the past years.

Hence, you might need to accompany him to his bedroom to make him feel comfortable.

Tell him what he will have to do later :

  • sleeping on his own, sleep with his teddy bear,
  • sleep with or without lights on ,
  • sleep with the bed room door open or close,
  • wake up on his own in the morning,
  • go to the toilet when he needed a pee- you can leave the toilet light on if he is afraid of the dark ).

However, you have to stay firm to your words, NO means NO.

Do not turn soft when your child whines, cries, keeps dragging you into his bed, refused to let you off or giving you tons of excuses.

If you give in easily, your child knows what are your weakness, that is how he targets on you every night with the same tricks up on his sleeves.

#4- Time to turn off the lights

For the first 2 weeks, you might need to keep up with the new rule until your child is able to adapt to it.

It is difficult for him to be separated from you in the beginning because he felt lost and unwanted.

When the sleep on his own training starts, the first night is IMPORTANT because your first step will be embedded in his mind and considered as the right decision.

Do not give in when he insisted that you stay with him until he falls asleep

Make it a firm and stern instruction.

  • After a hug, a Goodnite kiss, tuck in bed with teddy, turn off or leave the lights on, leave the door ajar open a little so that he can see you outside.
  • He will feel confident and secure to take a glimpse of you or family members outside his bedroom.
  • If he jumps out of the bed, sneaks out of the bedroom, appear behind or infront of you in minutes, immediately get him into his bedroom with a stern face.
  • Don’t smile at him because he thinks that you had gave up or negotioable.
  • Make sure he is in bed, ask him whether he needed the lights on or off, tell him confidently that you are not going anywhere because you have something else to do. ( Make yourself busy, don’t watch TV )
  • If your child keeps sneaking out of the bedroom, you could place a chair outside his bedroom, sit there until he falls asleep.
  • Each time, keep moving the chair away from the bedroom bit by bit until you are out of sight.
  • Soon, he will get used to your non-companionship because he knows that you are there even though not seen.

 

More articles related to kids

How to make ABC Flash Cards for toddlers

How to get your kids to do homework

Playing is important for kids

 

 

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  • peachpurple

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    • These tips are so great.Our little princess in the house still sleeps with her parents.At the age of 5, she still has 2 years more to sleep by her own.The family is considering to have her own room.I do agree that we need to do these steps gradually.

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