Sickness and sleep: How to prioritize sleep and help your child feel better faster

Babies and children who have learned independent sleep skills and are confident little sleepers generally handle things like sickness, travel and being off schedule fairly well.

Still, when our children are sick our responses to a night wake, for example, might need to change. They might need additional comfort at nighttime, possibly medication, and their schedule is likely to be off.

If your baby becomes unwell, how you respond will depend on how sick they are. It’s important to remember that when we’re sick, we need sleep more than ever. Whatever you can do to encourage this will be best for everyone.

Whether your child recently developed independent sleep skills or has slept well for some time, here’s how to respond without causing a sleep regression.

If they have a minor cold, you can probably continue to respond as before, with checks and support in the night as needed. If they are severely stuffed up and having trouble breathing, they are likely to find relief being held upright in your arms for a bit. If they have a fever, you might need to spend more time, offering medication (if desired) and comfort.

“If your child has slept independently in their own room and their own bed, bringing them into your bed can lead to challenges when they recover and it’s time to move them back. ”

If you feel you need to be close to them, set up a mattress on the floor of their room rather than bringing them into bed with you. If your child has slept independently in their own room and their own bed, bringing them into your bed can lead to challenges when they recover and it’s time to move them back. 

If they wake in the night or wake early from a nap, ask yourself what they really need at each instance. As parents, our emotional response is strong, and we sometimes do more than is needed, which can make falling asleep and staying asleep more challenging for our littles.

One other point to note is when our children are sick, they often need more rest and are more drowsy. A child might fall asleep on the couch, a toddler might fall asleep in the stroller, and a baby might fall asleep on a walk in a carrier or in your arms on the couch, and there isn't much we can do about it. They might go off schedule with naps a bit as a result.

Enjoy these rare lap naps and the snuggles that come from having your sweetheart feeling extra cuddly while they are under the weather. Do your best to keep them well-rested and going down awake in their cribs during regular nap times and bedtime, but don’t worry if they sleep outside their regular naps times. Increase fluids and aim for a warm, soothing bath and an early bedtime to help them get better.

Getting back on track

Once your little one is healthy again, they might easily settle back into their routines and rhythms. If they don’t, you may need to help re-establish their naps and support them in sleeping through the night again.

Get them down for naps at the right times, and encourage them to take restorative naps (at least one hour in length each). If they need extra encouragement, choose a consistent response, ideally a response you’ve used successfully in the past, to support them in getting back to sleep.