Sleep vs. Sickness

There is nothing worse than when our little ones are sick. As parents, it makes us feel helpless, and we want to do everything we can to nurture our kids back to health.

With Winter well and truly upon us, and kids (and adults) bringing all kinds of nasties home from daycare, school or work, I’ve been asked a lot about how to manage sleep whilst your little one is sick- so here are my top 3 tips for dealing with the Winter nasties when it comes to sleep.

1. Take the pressure off your routine

The most common question I get asked during the flu season is “Should I stick to my routine when my baby is sick?”

The answer is yes and no. When your child is sick they’re going to need shorter awake windows, more sleep and a whole lot more TLC to get through this rough patch. Sleep is when our body resets and restores homeostasis, so we want to be sure we are giving our little ones some extra sleep to help them recover. This doesn’t mean your routine goes out the window, but I do recommend you support your child with some flexibility whilst they recover.

2. Assist your baby all the way to sleep if they need it!

There is nothing… I repeat… NOTHING wrong with assisting your baby all the way to sleep!! When your little one is sick, and needs some extra hands on assistance, whether that’s feeding, rocking, cuddling or holding their hand, then do what you gotta do to help them! When they are feeling better, you can get straight back to business as usual!

3. Make friends with the early bedtime

Just like your baby may need a shorter awake window whilst they’re unwell, they might also need an earlier bedtime. The goal is to give your child the sleep they need to support their recovery, so don’t be afraid that putting them down earlier will mean they’ll wake up earlier- this is not necessarily the case. Giving your child extra sleep during this time is the best way to support them through their recovery.

No one likes when their child is sick, but it’s important that we take the pressure off and do what we need to do to help nurture our little back to health. Once they are feeling better, get right back to what you’re used to, you will not have undone all your hard work!