One of the great concerns of parents with young children is sleep disorders. A great help to solve them is to establish a routine that favors relaxation before bedtime.
Two studies published in the magazine Sleep, the first made with children between 7 and 18 months and the second with children between 18 and 36 have proven to establish a simple routine before putting the child to bed reduces nighttime awakenings and improves rest continuity.
What is the method? Bathe the child half an hour before going to the crib, give him a massage and, finally, reassure him by cradling him or singing a babysitter.
The researchers evaluated the behavior of the babies for three weeks and observed that when they applied the routine they would fall asleep better, sleep longer and wake up less times at night.
The benefit was not only for babies but the results showed that their mothers also lowered their levels of tension, anger, fatigue and confusion after applying the method.
Establishing routines is very important to avoid stress in the baby. If every day the child repeats the same actions before going to bed, this gives him confidence and security knowing that his habits are not a constant shock without any sort of order.
The effectiveness of the routine is due to the fact that the bath affects body temperature causing a sedative effect followed by massages that are relaxing pampering and of course, the intervention of affective contact to help the baby sleep. A baby who falls asleep with a pleasant sensation will sleep much better.
