Kids and babies are notorious for keeping their parents up at night. While this is to be expected, especially in younger children and infants, a lack of sleep isn’t healthy for moms and dads or children. Kids particularly need quality sleep because they are still growing and developing, and sleep is essential for young minds that are always taking in new information.

Before you pull your hair out and disappear into the night, never to return, below are some simple strategies you can use to help your child sleep better:

Set a Reasonable, Consistent Bedtime

Kids thrive on routine, so make sure bedtime is consistent each night. Also, make sure you’re putting your kids to sleep at a reasonable hour for their age. As children get older, you can extend bedtime, but letting children stay up until all hours of the evening can throw them off, make them tired the next day, and mess up their sleep patterns.

Keep Bedrooms Dark and Cool

The human brain is designed to sleep when it's dark, so make sure your child’s bedroom is free from unnecessary light sources. While a nightlight is fine if your child needs it, consider getting room-darkening curtains to block out outside light from things like street lamps, passing traffic, and outdoor lighting from your neighbors.

Also, try to keep the bedroom cool as it can be difficult for kids or anyone else to fall and stay asleep in a hot, humid environment. Consider using a fan in the bedroom and also lowering the thermostat by a few degrees at bedtime to help your little ones catch some quality sleep.

Talk to Your Pediatrician

Of course, if you feel that there’s a medical reason why your child is having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, there may be more going on than just excess energy and typical child fidgeting. Insomnia can affect children, and when it does, medical intervention may be necessary. Visit this website if you need any help with insomnia treatment.

This is why you’re encouraged to speak with your child’s pediatrician if you haven’t found success using natural methods to settle your child down. Insomnia treatment may be necessary in the form of medications, but any kind of insomnia treatment will be based on the unique health needs of your child.

Read a similar article about treatment for common mental health issues here at this page.