Learning to fall asleep by themselves and to return to sleep quickly if they awaken during the night is an important accomplishment, too. As with walking, the first steps often are shaky. Bedtime crying and middle of the night tearful awakenings are among the most common problems brought to pediatricians and specialists in children s sleep. Parents find these problems exasperating. They often report they ve tried everything and are usually surprised to learn that their best efforts to soothe may in fact be perpetuating the problem.
Parents often take a crying child out of bed.
They rock the child, sing, offer food, read stories, even bring the child into their bed. All these measures establish conditions for falling asleep that require a parent s prescence. The child doesn t learn how to fall asleep alone. Some children need a special blanket or favorite toy to fall asleep initially and to provide comfort on awakening during the night. Say goodnight and leave the room.