Why should children sleep separately?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was consulted with Dr. Le Thu Phuong - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Sleep plays a very important role in the development of both physical and intellectual children, for children to sleep separately is a measure to help improve sleep, so that children develop the most comprehensive.

1. Why should children sleep separately?

Letting children sleep separately brings many benefits to the health of children, parents and forming good habits for children. The benefits of putting babies to sleep separately include:
Reduced risk of infant death: A UK study found that more than half of sudden infant deaths are due to pressed by the mother causing suffocation. Children sleep more easily: When sleeping with parents, children may form some bad habits on their own such as asking for food in the middle of the night, crying a lot, and therefore it is harder for children to fall asleep, difficult to fall back to sleep on their own. wake up at night. Children who sleep with their parents are affected by their parents' arguments or their parents' late sleep habits will affect their children. If children fall asleep on their own, children form good habits that help them fall asleep on their own, sleeping deeply and sleeping on time will help children form their biological clocks from an early age. Letting children sleep separately helps children increase their independence at a young age, children are more confident, do not rely too much on parents to be able to sleep. Avoiding negative effects on children's psychology: If children sleep with their parents until they grow up, if children wake up from sleep, they may encounter situations that are not good for the child's psycho-physiological development like their parents. having sex or arguing with parents, domestic violence. Such situations can happen and traumatize the child's psyche. Parents will have their own life, a space to express their personal feelings to maintain family happiness. In addition, parents will also have a better sleep because they do not wake up every night to lull their children or meet their unnecessary needs.

2. When should children sleep separately?

Choosing when to put babies to sleep is also up to each child, can start early if the child cooperates. According to research, it is not recommended for children to sleep separately after 3 years of age because at this time children have the ability to distinguish gender. In Vietnam, there are many objections to letting children sleep separately, so for the environment in Vietnam, separating children to sleep separately can make children worried and scared, but parents should convince and reassure their children to let them sleep separately. Children can sleep on their own when they are 4-6 years old.
The earliest time for children to sleep separately is possible from the time the child is 4-6 weeks old, at this time parents can let the child sleep separately in the crib, but must ensure monitoring and control to let the child sleep. be as safe as possible.

3. How to train your baby to sleep separately

When you let your child learn to sleep separately, you can follow the stages so that the child gets used to sleeping away from their parents:
First stage: First, you should start by letting your child sleep in a separate place, but close. parents' sleeping place. Parents need to be right next to them to observe and pay attention to the safety of their children. In addition, to avoid fear of children when the feeling of being left alone, adversely affects children. Stage 2: When children have gradually accepted the need to sleep alone, the transition time through this stage is different for each child. Next, parents should put a curtain between the sleeping place of parents and children. Stage 3: Encourage and persuade children to sleep in a separate room. In general, putting children to sleep alone does not need to be too fast, so pay attention to the children's feelings. And especially always remember to observe children to create the safest environment possible.

4. Notes when letting children sleep separately

Parents should create a space and items that are really safe for children. When children sleep separately, they should use soft blankets to prevent children from suffocating while sleeping, and should put a shield around the bed for children to ensure safety, especially for children under 3 years old. Do not force children to sleep separately when they feel they are not really ready, often convince them of interesting things when sleeping separately so that they gradually feel more interested in sleeping separately. If children have to sleep separately when they are about to have a baby, parents should delicately share with their children. Don't let your child feel abandoned because you have a baby, this deeply hurts the child's psyche. Leads to the child not liking the child, not wanting to be close to the child, sometimes having violent behavior towards the baby. In some cases, children should not be allowed to sleep separately:
The child's health condition is abnormal: The child is born with an abnormal condition, may have some dangerous diseases, and needs comprehensive care from his father. mom. Babies are not ready to sleep alone. Family conditions are not suitable for sleeping separately such as not being able to create a comfortable and safe environment for children, so children should not be allowed to sleep separately. Because above all, the safety and health of children is most important. Letting children sleep separately from an early age brings many benefits, but children always have to sleep under the control of their parents. Each child has a unique mentality and personality, so parents do not need to be too stressed, please persist in persuading their children, not forcing them to do as parents want.
Children in the period from 6 months to 3 years old are very susceptible to respiratory problems, skin diseases and gastrointestinal infections... parents need to pay special attention to the care and supply adequate nutrition for children. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients, which adversely affect the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills. Parents should supplement their children with supporting products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
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