A steady wake-up time
Getting up at the same time each morning sets the body clock better than trying to put a child to bed earlier. It is the easiest place to start any change.
Methods
Methods and approaches
Here you will find the simple approaches that paediatricians and international guidelines rely on when they talk about prevention: regular sleep, daily movement and a home where dangerous things are out of reach. We describe them in general terms and without prescriptions. At the end of the page: what not to do, and how to tell when a call to your paediatrician is enough and when you should call emergency services straight away (112 or 103 in Russia, 112 across the EU, or your national number).
What helps a child most is usually not a special technique but repetition: the same steps before bed, the same walk, the same rules at home.
How this section works: we describe everyday approaches that do not involve medicines or medical procedures. Figures on sleep and movement come only from WHO guidelines; anything about a particular child's health we leave to the paediatrician.
Sleep
A child's sleep depends not only on tiredness but also on how predictable their day is.
A bedtime ritual
A few calm steps in the same order. The ritual does not need to be long; what matters is that it is repeated every evening.
The sleeping space
Darkness, quiet, a well-aired room and a safe cot. It is worth checking with your paediatrician how to set up a safe sleeping space for a baby.
Movement and outdoor play
The WHO stresses that any activity counts, from crawling to running around the playground.
Plenty of varied movement
For children aged 1–4, the WHO advises at least 180 minutes of physical activity a day. This is not training but games, walks, dancing and climbing spread across the whole day.
An hour of activity for school-age children
Children and teenagers aged 5–17: an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity every day. A sports club, active games and brisk walking all count.
Going outside as a habit
Going out at the same time every day makes both movement and sleep easier. Clothing suited to the weather makes a walk possible almost any day.
Grown-ups setting an example
Children are keener to move when their parents move too. A walk together or a game of catch counts for both of you.
A safe home
Home safety is not a set of expensive gadgets but a habit of looking at your home through the eyes of a child who is growing and learning to reach new things.
Heights and windows
Furniture a child can climb on is not placed by windows. Windows and balconies near a playing child are kept closed or restricted.
Lock away anything dangerous
Household chemicals, cosmetics, and adults' and children's medicines are kept closed and out of reach. Avoid decanting them into other containers.
Electricity and water
Socket covers, cables tidied away, and constant supervision in the bath and near any water. Even shallow water is dangerous for a little one.
When to call the doctor and when to call 112
- Call your paediatrician if your child seems unwell, has a temperature, is eating, drinking or sleeping noticeably worse, and you are not sure what to do
- Call your paediatrician if a change in behaviour, sleep or development worries you, even if it seems minor
- Call 112 or 103 (in Russia; elsewhere, your local emergency number) straight away if your child does not respond to you or is hard to wake
- Call 112 or 103 straight away if your child is struggling to breathe or their lips and face have changed colour
- Call 112 or 103 straight away if your child may have swallowed household chemicals or someone else's medicines, has fallen from a height or was under water for a long time
- Call 112 or 103 if your child's condition is getting rapidly worse and you are frightened for them: the dispatcher will help you decide what to do next
Read next
- Topics
A map of topics: sleep and routine, movement, routine check-ups and vaccinations, home safety. The article catalogue is here too.
- Prevention
How to settle your child's daily routine in two weeks: steps, illustrative examples, common mistakes and a sleep-by-age table.
- Questions
Questions worth writing down and asking your paediatrician at a routine check-up: about vaccinations, sleep and development.
Sources
- World Health Organization: 2019 guidelines
- World Health Organization: 2020 guidelines
Information checked as of the date of preparation. WHO guidelines, the Russian national vaccination schedule and the rules for children's check-ups are updated from time to time, and other countries have their own schedules and programmes, so check the details for your child with your paediatrician.