Children ''must be encouraged'' to sleep in own beds
04/10/2011
Allowing kids to share their parents' bed rather than sleeping on their own can lead to all sorts of problems, an expert has highlighted.
Not only can this prove disruptive to everyone's sleep routines, but it can also make day to day life more challenging, noted Dr John Sharry director of the Parents Plus charity.
The first thing to do is determine what would be the ideal situation for the whole family, he indicated to the Irish Times, as this will provide a goal to work towards.
For example, the parents may determine an ideal bedtime and make every effort to ensure this is maintained on a nightly basis.
Dr Sharry, who is also a social worker and psychotherapist, recommended establishing a bedtime ritual, which may involve drinking hot milk and reading a story before getting into bed.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that youngsters who do not get enough sleep are more prone to engaging in risky behaviour.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes
