How do you get sick babies to sleep??!!! Well its hard but not impossible.
He irony of having sick children, is that this is the time they need more sleep than ever so their little bodies can fight the infection and they can recover quickly. So how can we help get them more sleep when they are sick?
Here are my top tips and hacks!
Firstly don’t fall into the trap of throwing all your good habits out of the window! Try and stay in a similar routine to normal. Sick children may need more day time sleep than normal, but don’t allow them to sleep all day. Offer naps at roughly the same times as normal but make awake windows shorter to prevent overtiredness.
Night waking’s. Make sure they know it’s still night time! Keep it dark and try to keep them in their normal sleep environment. If they are waking due to fever give them medication and cool them down in their bedroom. When the fever has settled put them back in their own bed to go back to sleep. Offer extra comfort to help them go back to sleep but try not to bed share.
Well timed fever medication is crucial for sleep, nutrition and hydration. Age appropriate fever medication should be well spaced out throughout the day. Ie 30 mins before meal times and bedtimes. This helps encourage intake of oral diet and fluids, to prevent dehydration and optimise consolidated sleep.
Sleep deprivation affects us parents too and it’s very easy to loose tract of what medication you have given and when you have given it (I say this from experience with my twins!) It’s a great idea write down every time you give a medication and plan when the next does will be. This way you can make sure you’re not exceeding the recommended daily amounts and always keep one last dose for night fevers!
Always consult your Dr if your child is sick!
You got this! They all get better in the end!
Sleep well