School-age (6-9 years)

There are many reasons why tamariki (children) may be having trouble with their sleep. The Murdoch Children's Research Institute has podcasts and sleep strategies that can help you to manage some of the sleep issues tamariki may have.

Your child will start to lose their primary or baby teeth around the age of 6 and will have all their adult teeth (except for wisdom teeth) by the age of 14. Find out what to expect and how to care for their teeth.   

Rewards can really motivate a child to improve their behaviour. They work best if given soon after the behaviour, not after a few days.

Tamariki (children) with restless legs have an uncomfortable feeling in their legs when trying to fall asleep. If your child has restless legs, find out how you can manage this.

If your child is anxious about going to sleep or you think it may be hard to keep them in their bedroom, then using the 'checking method' may be helpful.

If your child is anxious about going to sleep, then 'camping out' may be helpful. You put a chair or camp bed next to your child's bed and gradually remove the chair as your child begins to fall asleep alone.

For tamariki (children) who have a difficult time staying in their bedroom or cry out, making a bedtime pass for your child may be valuable.

Putting tamariki (children) to bed when they are not tired increases the chances of bedtime struggles. Therefore, for some tamariki it is best to start by setting the bedtime at the time they usually fall asleep and gradually making the bedtime earlier.