Sick, sicker, sickest! Now what?

During these cold days a lot of viruses pass by and many children get sick. A question that is often asked during coaching sessions is "What do I do if my child is sick"?

Do you stick to your usual routine or do you deviate from it, with the chance that your child's sleep pattern will be turned upside down?

When you suspect that your child may be sick, it is useful to check what exactly is going on: is he or she suffering from a cold or is there more to the matter?

First aid for colds

Does your child have a cold? A runny nose and a little coughing don't have to be signs that you need to deviate from your usual routine. Most children often have a runny nose and a harmless cough here and there during those first few years. of life If you were to change your routine every time, at some point you would have nothing left of your structure throughout the day.

On the contrary, sticking to your usual routine can help your child get enough sleep so that he recovers more quickly. What you can do, however, is temporarily offer some extra help. Falling asleep can sometimes be more difficult and your child may want a little more proximity.

Be sure to rinse your child's nose before each nap so that difficult breathing doesn't interfere with sleep. Also, make sure the room is properly ventilated so that the humidity remains good. That also contributes to good breathing.

What if my child is seriously ill?

We all know that terrible feeling when we are really ill. I like to snuggle close to my partner under a blanket and take a nap here and there during the day to recuperate a bit.

Your child's body is working hard to fight the germs. This means that your child will need a little more sleep and may be tired a little faster.

Cuddle and comfort your child as much as you want, because your little one really needs that. If you keep the following rule of thumb in mind, you will choose the path with the fewest tears: "I'm not starting anything that I don't want to last in the long run".

Did your child have a sleep association in the past and you don't want it to be picked up again? If so, it's best not to offer it as comfort right before a nap. For example, you can give your child an extra feed, but falling asleep is best not done at the breast or bottle, so there are no extra tears in the long run when you want to stop feeding to sleep again.

Is your child sleeping in it's own bed and you don't want to go back to co-sleeping or sharing the bed with your child in the long run? Offer extra comfort while your child is in it's own bed. Does your child really need a lot of proximity and do you want to offer that by temporarily sleeping together anyway? You can try to sleep together your child's familiar sleeping environment. The step back to their own bed will then be smaller that way.

But what about your routine? Sometimes your child is tired more quickly. In that case, you certainly don't need to stretch the awake time. This can lead to overtiredness and that's exactly what we want to avoid, especially if your child is seriously ill. I prefer to put them to bed a little earlier and wake them up at the usual time. That ensures they get the extra rest they need to heal without interfering with your whole routine.

Oh no! My child's sleep routine is now disrupted!

It may be that your routine is a bit disrupted after all, or that your child has developed a sleep association that you as a parent find less helpful.

To get your child's sleeping habits back on track, you can start again with your sleep method to work on falling asleep independently. This can be a method you used before or you can also opt for another method if it feels better for your situation and your family.

Since your child had already mastered a number of skills before being ill, you're not starting from zero (thank god!), but we're actually working on a 'reset' of your child's sleeping skills. Usually, within 2 to 4 nights, you'll manage to get back on track.

Does your little one still keep waking up after being sick and need a lot of help to fall back asleep? No worries, just send me a message through the contact form and together we will see how we can get your child's sleep pattern back on track.

Just a quick note:

Were you just about to start a sleep program, but your child is suddenly very sick? Then I recommend that you wait a while, so that we can start together when your child is completely healthy and we don't need to wonder if it's because of being sick or there's something else causing some issues. A sleep training program involves change and that is an adjustment for your child, which may be accompanied by some frustration. Your child doesn't need that when he or she is well.

Is your child completely at ease again? Then we can start working together! Be sure to check out which sleep package is best for your family

Finally, to sum up:

• Is your child just having a bit of a cold? Stick to your sleep routine and provide more proximity and support.

• Is your little one really ill? Then i would suggest to start the nap a little earlier than usual and finish at the normal hour. That way, you're offering extra sleep where needed, without having to abandon your routine altogether.

• Don't start anything that you don't want to sustain in the long run, and above all, give your child extra comfort, nurturing and cuddles.

• Sometimes the sleep routine does get disrupted. Get back on track with a sleep method, stick to a good routine, and within 2 to 4 days you'll be off and running.

Much love,

Debbie