Guide
Help, my child is wetting the bed (again)
by Martin Rupf
When is the perfect time to put the sleeping child down?
25/4/2024
Translation: machine translated
The child has finally dozed off and you put him in his cot. A short time later, he is awake again and the party starts all over again. What this phenomenon is all about and what role a cot plays in it.
You carry and rock your child through the nursery for at least a thousand steps until they finally fall asleep. But as soon as you put him in his cot, he opens his eyes again. So you pick him up, continue your walk and wait longer this time to make sure he is sleeping soundly and relaxed. But nope, soon it wakes up again and calls for you.
When the heck is the best time to put your sleeping child down?
There isn't one, that's the bad news. The good news is that the "little game" is neither unusual nor worrying. It is part of everyday life in many families.
Lay down while the child is still awake
In addition, children only know at around nine months - with so-called object permanence - that mum and dad are still there even if they cannot perceive them through their senses.
With this in mind, it is clear when it is best to put a child down: not asleep, but while they are still awake. So that it knows where it falls asleep. And wakes up there too.
In small steps to the big task
The child should therefore learn to fall asleep in the place where they will sleep later. And that means lying down. Parents know: a mammoth task. For most babies and toddlers, it is safest to fall asleep in their parents' arms, at least close to them - and certainly not to be laid down awake. Especially not alone in a cot in their own room, where physical contact is hardly possible.
To do this, they need positive experiences to understand that sleeping is a safe state. "That's why it makes perfect sense to carry a baby a lot, to sleep together with them and to give them the experience that sleeping is safe and that falling asleep is very easy," says the expert. "Independence is based on trust. And trust comes from many positive experiences."
Crib yes, but...
But when should the children gradually fall asleep without parental support? Here too: According to Tilja Tanner, there is no perfect time. In the end, it has to be right for each individual family. "At two and a half and five and a half years old, my boys fall asleep on their own in their bed every night - with us present," she says. "We all enjoy it so much!"
This article is part of a multi-part series with Tilja Tanner on the topic of children's sleep. Do you have any comments or questions that you would like to clarify in the upcoming articles? Let us know in the comments or send me an email.
The following articles have already been published:
Header image: Shutterstock/Rawpixel.com
Katja Fischer
Senior Editor
Katja.Fischer@digitecgalaxus.chMom of Anna and Elsa, aperitif expert, group fitness fanatic, aspiring dancer and gossip lover. Often a multitasker and a person who wants it all, sometimes a chocolate chef and queen of the couch.
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