As we get further into winter, the carousel of bugs and illness starts to sweep our homes. With runny noses, coughs, fevers and sore tummies - it can bring a lot of discomfort for our kids and disrupt everything at home. And of course, this often brings a lot of interrupted sleep. Although we can try our best to avoid them, apart from good hygiene there is little we can do about it and often these bugs hit right at our busiest time of year too. This can be hard to manage at the best of times, but if you are poorly as well as your little one, it makes it even harder too.
When our little ones are poorly, they are almost definitely going to need more cuddles, more reassurance and rest to help them recover again. They will likely be lethargic, more clingy and they will definitely need their rest. Here are some tips to help and support you through the cold and flu season this year.
Sleep is the greatest healer. It can be easy to want to keep their sleep on track and not get out of their routine, especially if you have a child who is really time sensitive. However, there is a good chance it will all change. They may need extra day sleep, earlier naps and earlier bedtimes. It won't be long term, but it gives them the rest that they need.
If their naps are disrupted due to coughs and discomfort, offer an earlier bedtime to support them.
Tag team - It can be exhausting with the endless awakenings, medicine top ups and hard settles for them so try to tap each other out with your partner. It often takes team work to get through it!
Offer plenty fluids in the day to help the congestion overnight.
Try to keep their bedtime routines predictable where you can.
Keep good hygiene where you can to prevent the spread around the house.
If you are poorly too, rest when they rest. I know it's easier said than done but your rest is a top priority too.
Most importantly, their settle to sleep may change. You may be in a position where you've worked hard to shape new bedtime habits and their settling to sleep. The chances are, you are going to get a lot more contact naps and they'll be needing more reassurance from you. This won't set you back long term. If you are having to go with the flow on this and offer them a different kind of settle, run with it and ride the ride. Once they are feeling better you can make that decision to spend a few days getting back to where you were before.
And how do you get it back on track after it passes?
Once they are feeling better, you may need to spend some time getting things back to normal in their routines and settles. Often I do see illnesses being a turning point of change, but it all sits in that decision to make some steps to get things back to normal.
Spend time getting their timings and routines back on track over a few days.
We may need to gradually scale back again with their settle to sleep. As this will have undoubtedly changes whilst they were poorly, take a few days to slowly bring the settle back. This might mean getting back to a cot or bed settle gradually. Or if you have been co-sleeping, starting to embed rhythms back in their own sleep space.
Slowly start reintroducing normal foods again. If they have had a sickness bug, their appetite will have been massively impacted. It can take a while or this to come back. Slow and steady and focus on fluids/water.
Be patient as they readjust to this - it can take a good few days to a week to fully adapt again.
If you are struggling with illness after illness, and sleep is just unbearable, please do reach out. I'm here to support you anytime.
Jade
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