Why sleep rituals are important for children
Dr. Barbara Sabene Kristler
Rituals are important for family life and they exist in different versions in all cultures around the world. Rituals consist of a clear structure and always take place in the same, repeating order.
There are different sleep rituals for children:
Reading, singing, praying, cuddling, and sometimes certain favorite objects of the child are also part of the child's sleep ritual - such as the lovely teddy bear, the cuddly blanket, right up to the "refuse" ritual that every parent probably knows. When falling asleep, children go from the daytime phase to another, unknown level of consciousness. The children separate from their parents (caregiver) both spatially and emotionally. These sleep rituals give children security because they make the “separation” and the step into this other “world” easier.
The background to sleep rituals is the basic psychological needs of children:
The need for security: the "going to bed" ritual takes away children's fears and feelings of restlessness. Rituals also provide good orientation.
The need for belonging and love , which have many positive effects on cognitive performance and emotional development of the child
From birth, children stabilize themselves in threatening situations through physical contact. The feeling of security is generated through sleep rituals, which are often framed by physical contact. The closeness of the caregiver, the softness of the bed, similar to the feeling of the "soft mother's cushion" before birth (in the mother's stomach) brings well-being and security into the ideas about falling asleep. This makes sleep relaxing and calm.
On hectic days, this kind of closeness to the children is sometimes neglected, but the sleep rituals in the evening make up for this closeness.
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Dr. Barbara Sabene Kristler Clinical and health psychologist |