Giving Compass' Take:

• Experts at Yale University say that it is possible to change the poor sleep habits of children in preschool and elementary school, and they give 5 examples of how to do so. 

• What are some causes of insomnia? How does anxiety contribute to sleep-deprivation? 

• Here's why more sleep could help kids do better in school and life. 

It’s with the best of intentions that parents end up reinforcing poor sleep habits, says Lynelle Schneeberg, a psychologist at Yale University Medicine, identifying “too much parental assistance” as a key factor fueling the problem.

Schneeberg is the author of a new book, Become Your Child’s Sleep Coach: The Bedtime Doctor’s 5-Step Guide, Ages 3-10 (Lifelong Books, 2019).

“It is challenging to help children in this age group learn to fall asleep independently at bedtime because they can talk and walk, which means they can ask you to come back to their room for many creative reasons, or come out of their rooms to find you and ask for one more escorted trip to the bathroom, more ice for their water cup, and so on,” Schneeberg explains. “Luckily, their brains are adaptable, and they can learn new ways to fall asleep that don’t involve a parent.”

But before you can bring about positive change, it helps to understand where things went wrong. Here are a few mistakes caregivers make and tips from Canapari and Schneeberg on how to fix them.

MISTAKE #1: STAYING OR SLEEPING IN YOUR CHILD’S BEDROOM

“Lie down with me.” “Stay here.” It can be hard to resist a pleading child at bedtime, especially if you are desperate to get your child down so you can do household chores, relax, or sleep yourself.

Solution: Teach your child how to “self soothe” and fall asleep independently, Schneeberg says. Place a basket next to your child’s bed and fill it with calm, quiet activities he can do on his own.

Read the full article on ways to help your children sleep better by Carrie Macmillan at Futurity.