Help when my child is sleeping through at last?

They have outgrown the baby ages ago, but on quiet nights is still not to think: The three-year-old wants at night several times a drink and have little promptly after the toilet, the four-year-old is making every night wide in parents' bed until mom or dad unnerved at the couch and move the two-year-old is awake for hours at night - with her weary parents ...
Why preschoolers often do not sleep through? Annette Kast-Zahn, psychologist and successful author of Sleep's classic album "Every child can learn to sleep" (GU-Verlag), explain.

Small children are often poor sleepers (Photo: Thinkstock)
Popular parenting books
With 850,000 units sold, "Every child can learn to sleep" one of the most popular parenting books in the country. These sales are in foreign countries, including China. It is not a dogmatic book, with one solution for all cases, this is Annette Kast-Zahn very important: "Since the first edition 1995, co-author and pediatrician Dr. Morgenroth and I read the book continues to evolve and to explain various specific cases, even quite gentle methods."
The behavioral therapist respects her parents' advice, always ensure that the needs of children are taken into consideration. That does not automatically mean that one should submit to the will of the child and must do everything what the child wants, says the author.


Sleep in parents bed: Yes or no?
The expert is in principle not opposed to children sleeping in parents bed. "As long as all goes well with the situation, there is no action," says Annette Kast-Zahn.
"If the parents are disturbed in their sleep, they share their bed long ago no longer voluntarily with their children and are already tired and annoyed, that's not good for the child. Then you should better look for the causes of sleep problems and after a child-friendly solution. "
Before making a plan
Parents who want to change something on their child's sleep habits have to feel at ease as first place always has a plan how they want to proceed as a whole. "You need to decide beforehand, 'What can I expect of myself and my child? As I continue, if not the first step works? '", Says the psychologist.
Also important: consistency and parental unity. "Mom and Dad have to pull together.Only then can change with little success, "says Annette Kast-Zahn.