by Krystle Hernandez

Created on: April 14, 2009   Last Updated: April 19, 2009

Ideally, a child's sleeping habits should be stabilized from an early age. However, there are some children who begin to demonstrate irregular sleeping habits as they get older. If your eight-year-old is having trouble falling asleep, adhering to a predetermined bedtime, or staying inside his or her room for the duration of the night, take a look at the following suggestions.

Explain

Although younger children may not have yet developed the mental capacity to grasp certain abstract concepts like biochemistry or the importance of adequate sleep, your eight-year-old is much more likely to understand why there are rules in place about bedtime if you explain the rationale behind these rules. If your child wants to know why he or she needs to go to bed at a certain hour, you need to explain with them the importance of sleep and "recharging" his or her "batteries." More often than not, explaining things in terms that they can understand will only increase their chances of comprehension.

Monitor Diet

An individual's diet and nutritional levels has a lot to do with his or her ability to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. If an individual consumes large amounts of sugar or caffeine before bed, it may be increasingly difficult to fall asleep. Therefore, if your child is having trouble going to sleep at bedtime, be sure that you keep a close eye on his or her diet. Try to eliminate caffeine and sugary drinks like sodas or certain juices (especially in the hours before bed).

Consider More Exercise

If your child's nutrition and diet have nothing to do with his or her inability or unwillingness to go to sleep at night, this additional energy may be due to a lack of exercise. Children need exercise in order to dispel excess energy. Encourage your child to join an afterschool sport or activity that can essentially wear them out throughout the day. Otherwise, take your child for a walk after dinner or engage in some physical activity with them during the afternoon or early evening. The goal is to make a conscious effort to ensure that your child is physically exhausted by the time that bedtime rolls around so that going to bed is no longer an issue but a welcomed time for rest.

APPROPRIATE ATTENTION Furthermore, it is important for parents to consider the fact that the issue may not just be an unwillingness or incapability to go to bed, it may just be a child's attempts to seek attention. Are you spending long hours at work? Has there been a dramatic change in your family life recently?

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