Past the wonder of the first days, young parents can quickly find themselves completely helpless in front of a baby who refuses to sleep.

Guests of "Sans Rendez-vous" on Europe 1, psychologists Aurélie Callet and Clémence Prompsy explain to us how to approach the fateful hour of bed with confidence.

INTERVIEW

One in three children suffers from a sleep disorder. And almost all young parents have known the "joys" of many waking up in the middle of the night during the first months. Unfortunately, there is no miracle recipe for putting a baby to sleep. But should we be completely fatalistic for all that? Psychologists Aurélie Callet and Clémence Prompsy, co-authors of the book

Je ne dors pas

published by De Boek Supérieur, have developed a bedtime methodology around the acronym "SOIR". As they explained on Monday in

Sans Rendez-vous

on Europe 1, each letter refers to a practice to adopt to help baby to dive into the arms of Morpheus without too much difficulty.

>>

Find all of Sans rendez-vous every day from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Europe 1 as well as in replay and podcast here

S like "relieve" 

It must be ensured that there is neither physical pain nor psychological cause which explains why the child cannot sleep.

"For example, a baby who has reflux will have pain as soon as he is lying down, so it is advisable to check with the pediatrician what to do", points out Aurélie Callet.

If your child has cried all day without interrupting, it is because he is experiencing discomfort or pain, so it is a safe bet that, even exhausted, he does not find sleep for long hours.

O for "observation"

The first few weeks, as soon as a baby cries, young parents tend to try everything to calm him down: bottles, change of diapers, papouilles, etc ... "After a while, we end up being completely drowned in the news ", remarks Clémence Prompsy. In short: parents no longer know what to do to soothe the child. Rather than redouble your imagination, try to spot what tends to calm him down, and focus on that habit. Parents who try a different method every night are more likely to stress the child.

"You have to listen to yourself and your baby, not the hubbub formed by the advice of your mother, your girlfriend, your neighbor or Instagram. You have to probe yourself. Does he still need to sleep with me, yes or no? Know that nothing is irreversible ", wants to reassure Clémence Prompsy.

I like "introduce a blanket"

The blanket, whether it is a soft toy, a rag or a small toy, is a transitional object that will allow the child to pass from the arms of daddy-mom to the cradle.

"You have to introduce the blanket during all the nice moments with the parents: cuddles, baby bottles ... From the age of two, you can go and choose it with him in a store", explains Aurélie Callet.

One word of caution, however: this magical object can quickly become problematic if you lose it during a walk or if you forget it at the nursery.

So plan, at the back of the closet, a few spare comforters to avoid the big crisis of tears in the evening.

R for "ritual"

It is necessary to create a ritual of falling asleep, that is to say, associating bedtime with a routine that will allow the child's brain to fall asleep more easily. "The idea is to put the children to bed earlier. When the child runs and jumps around at the end of the day, it does not mean that he is still fishing, but rather that he is trying to resist his fatigue. We will therefore have to ensure that the next day, at the same time, he is already ready to be put to bed, "underlines Clémence Prompsy. And to manage to maintain a reasonable bedtime, the best is to put in place some habits to mark the path of dreams.

"A ritual is not supposed to last an hour, or even 45 minutes, it is a small transition between the awake moment and the moment when we go to sleep," warns Aurélie Callet.

"We give the bottle, we change the diaper, we close the shutters, we tell a story, a kiss and we leave the room!"

The room for young children, a space not to be neglected

One last tip to improve your child's nights: set up a room worthy of the name! We tend to think that a baby, once in his cradle, will not worry about sleeping in a room that also serves as a dressing room, linen room, or even an occasional storage room with a few boxes stacked in a corner. In truth, dedicating this space entirely to the child is a way of minimizing anxieties and night terrors. "What is important, even for the older ones, is that when the child is lying in his bed, he can see the door. [...] It prevents them from having to go out", indicates Aurélie Callet.

Place the bed in the darkest corner of the room, which will also allow the child when lying down to see all the rest of the space. Finally, do not neglect the decor: "It is important that this room is nice. Why? Because if your child only goes there to go to bed, it will not be associated until the moment of separation", continues Aurélie Callet . "The child must love being in his room during the day and be able to go back and forth without the parents."