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"Sleep like a baby?"

That's not always such a good thing.

Just ask any parent of a young child. Odds are, they've become all-too-familiar with everything from restless sleep to bedwetting to night terrors. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 65% of all children experience at least one sleep problem per week. And no doubt, 100% of their parents would like to do something about that.

Even school-aged kids should get 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night. Most don't. TV, computers, and video games compete for those nighttime hours and can also cause over-stimulation, which further impairs restful sleep. This, in turn, affects their daytime behavior and school performance.

So what can we do to help our kids get their zzz's? Consider eliminating TV before bedtime, especially violent or scary programs. They'll have plenty of opportunities to catch up on the gore and mayhem when they're older. Also avoid foods and beverages containing sugar and/or caffeine in the evening. Unless, of course, you really feel like playing "army" at midnight.

Having a regular bedtime routine can help children prepare mentally and physically for sleep. For example, try a warm bath followed by a bedtime story or soothing music. A nightlight may also prove helpful. The idea is to make the whole process as relaxed and comfortable as possible.

If your child is still tossing and turning or waking too often, consider a natural, homeopathic remedy such as Calms Forté 4 Kids^TM by Hyland's. This formula can help with restlessness, irritability, night terrors, and anxiety.

Does your child fight bedtime?

The problem may not be in his head.  It could be in his stomach.

Is your little angel still running around like a holy terror when she should already be tucked in for the night? The problem could be that she’s getting too much sugar too close to bedtime. Sugar acts as a fuel for the body and the nervous system. So at the time she should be winding down for the day, she’s just getting revved up.

You might want to institute a policy of strictly limiting sugary snacks and sodas after dinnertime. Soon, calm will again prevail.

Blame Freddie Krueger.

The scary images that your child watches on TV or video can linger in his mind long after the set is turned off. Violent, intense, gory programs − especially before bedtime − can give a child night terrors, which in turn, can make them not want to go to sleep.

So pay attention to what he's watching. If you don't think it's appropriate, change the channel. Better yet, turn the TV off and read a soothing bedtime story together.

Are there monsters in your child's room?

Get a monster-killer.

Otherwise known as a common, ordinary nightlight. It's been known to have miraculous properties for keeping ghosts, monsters, night terrors, and other things that prevail during the night at bay.

Better yet, get a timed nightlight that gradually fades and then turns off, after he's sound asleep.

If nightmares, growing pains, physical and mental restlessness before bedtime are a regular occurrence, you might also wish to consider giving your child an all-natural homeopathic calmative such as Hyland's Calms Forté 4 Kids^TM. Calms Forté 4 Kids helps children calm down at night so they can fall asleep naturally. Eight homeopathic ingredients work gently to settle them down for the night without causing side effects or drug hangovers the next morning.