Share your tips with Nurofen for Children on coping with night times when your child is poorly - £300 voucher prize draw NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

In winter children often seem to get every bug going and this can make night-times especially disruptive and stressful.
The team at Nurofen for Children would love to hear your tips and advice on how to make night times with a poorly child better - for yourself, your child and other family members. So, how do you change your bedtime routine when your child is ill? Are you more relaxed (or strict) about bedtimes? Do you bring up hot drinks, a favourite soft toy or comforting blanket? Maybe you're more likely to allow your kids to come into bed with you when they're not well.

Here's what Nurofen for Children says, "Night time can perpetuate parents’ anxiousness when children are sick. It’s often a time when parents can feel less in control - especially as sleep is often a crucial time for a poorly child - we all know a good night’s sleep usually means a healthier child in the morning. We know parents will often do anything to ensure their child gets the sleep they need".

So please share on this thread your best tips on coping with those endless nights of sniffles, sickness and coughing fits.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher!

Thanks

MNHQ

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Nurofen for Children 3 months to 9 years Orange / Strawberry. (Weighing over 5kg). Nurofen for Children Orange / Strawberry 3 months to 12 years (weighing over 5kg). Contains Ibuprofen. For relief of fever. Always read the label.

[soph0077]

DD used to get croup a lot so we would sit in the bathroom with the water running as hot as it could so the steam helped her calm down. Nowadays, just read to her and she tends to fall back to sleep.

[user1474219850]

If it's a cough then have an extra pillow for them to be propped up a bit. Keeping the room at a constant temperature helps too. It's horrible when kids are coughing in the night but try to remember that coughing is a necessary thing and usually it's bothering you more than them.

[SillyMoomin]

I show them everything I'll be using to "make it better", whether it's the medicine, or the steaming bowl, or the thermometer.

I also try and remknd them of when DH or myself are ill, so they're not scared it's just them this horrible feeling is happening to.

Lastly, cuddles and promises of rewards such as ice if they take whatever tablets are needed at that time.

Spoonful of sugar and all that....

[Beckyeisaac]

For a stuffy nose vapour rub on the soles of the feet is great when sleeping. Just pop socks on over them. Eucalyptus oil is great in a bowl of hot water under a cot for babies too young for medicine.
Saline spray is good for baby's to clear the nostrils and it's safe for them to use.
A warm bath with vapour bubble bath - a major supermarket stocks this.
Keep fluids up. I don't mind if they lose their appetite as long as they drink regularly.
Younger babies/toddlers love comfort too so if they're in their own bed put one of your t-shirts either over the pillow (like a pillowcase) or over the mattress (like a sheet).
Strip them off if they have a temperature.
Medicines for the appropriate purposes.
Tissues and plenty of cuddles.

[littlemonkeyz]

Vicks on feet really works! Sleep in their room and prepare yourself for a difficult night by getting spare clothes, bedding etc ready before bedtime.

[fifimummy]

Usually it's a bed made up on the sofa next to me so they can doze & I can watch them (in a less freaky way than that sounds :P )
Then at my bedtime I lift them upstairs, quick wee, more medicine & snuggles in Mummys bed....

[carolineandryanandseb]

CUDDLES CUDDLES CUDDLES!!!

[Gazelda]

Absolutely in bed with me. Lots of really soft balsam tissues. Vicks. Vaseline on nose. Endless cuddles.

[phillie1]

Bed down in lounge with TV on all night, when really poorly

[marylegs23]

be prepared not to sleep much, give lots of cuddles and reassurance and dose up on pain relief if he is really uncomfortable. have everything ready to hand in the night so i don't have to go searching for a syringe etc

[KevinMcCallister]

I have found nurofen to be great for earache in particular. I do encourage a normal bedtime routine when Dd is ill. If she shared my bed, I'd be as sleepless listening to her snores! When she is ill, I make sure she has water by her bed and I am also willing to just get up if the night is making the pain endless as is often the case with earache. The other day we discovered some great TV on at 3am! Not that I want to repeat that!

[cbruin111]

a quick bath and an early night

[Ohwoolballs]

I have a lurgy filled and teething nearly eight month old at the moment.
Keeping him dosed up with medicine was working until he's decided to meltdown every time we come near him with a syringe so now we are sneaking the medicine in as the last mouthful of food. He seems a bit stunned his pasta suddenly tasted like strawberry but, hallelujah, it goes in.
He's been a bit of a boob monster for comfort which I'm letting him even though I end up covered in snot and he needs breathers every now and then (it can be hard with a booked nose!)
I've put a couple of drops of Albas Oil on the back of his bibs too.

[buckley1983]

Little one is straight into our bed when poorly - a snuggle works wonders! It also makes a restless night much more manageable if you can just reach over to comfort them, rather than getting in & out of bed all night. I've found, as others have suggested, a steamy bath helps to clear any mucus & either a Calpol Vapor Light or just a few drops of Olbas oil in boiling water left in the room where LO will be sleeping - kept well out of reach though & only if safe to do so.
If LO is older, Olbas do a bubble bath but only advised for 3+.
Always good to have the essentials on hand if needed - sick bowl, old towels, ibuprofen or calpol & a spoon, lots of tissues, a bottle of water & a change of pyjamas! x

[EasterRobin]

She doesn't sleep well in my bed so if she is properly ill and unhappy I grab a few blankets and sleep on her floor. That way she can see me without being able to excitedly poke and climb on me.

[tubbyj]

Have an early night and pop them in bed with you

[ginauk84]

I don't have any tips as we don't deal with it very well here. My daughter hates the sweet tasting Nurofen and Calpol so if Nurofen are reading this I would really like them to create a medicine that isn't as sweet and doesn't have such an artificial taste. I actually manage to get the calpol over 6 tablets down her better but she is only 3 (I give her a quarter of one) so I would really love a similar product for 3 year olds. Medicine actually physically makes her gag but it is sooooo sweet and she doesn't have a sweet tooth.

[Maiyakat]

Put puked on sheets, pyjamas etc in the washing machine with the timer set, so when you get up they will be clean but not smelling musty from sitting in there wet for hours

[jandoc]

keep the child close and always in the same room as you.

[hoody26uk]

It is all about preparation. Be prepared for not much sleep and plenty of cuddles.

I usually sleep on the settee rather than a bed. Easier to control their temperature. Also means that if they are really distressed you can pop the TV on. we always have a program on the box that can be viewed.

[DinosaursRoar]

Sick child in bed with me, along with as many things I could possibly need lined up by the bed, nurofen, bottle of water (sports bottle better than cup in case they want to drink laying down), all the teddies and snuggly toys they could want, and then dump DH into the ill child's bed so at least one of us gets sleep.

[spanglisher]

It's simply easier to share a bed. You can sleep without worrying that they're awake and being ill in another room, and will only need to wake up when there is actually a problem, rather than just to check

[Theimpossiblegirl]

Another one who has them in with me if they are ill. DH's job is safety critical whereas I can get away with going in a bit tired with no disastrous results, so he usually goes into the spare room.

The first time DD had a really high fever, I was a new mum and didn't know I could give Neurofen after Calpol. If I had, she would probably never have had the febrile convulsion that led to her being hospitalised, so my top tip is to know what you can give(and when) to keep that temperature down.

[MAT12]

Its like Mission impossible, we get the little telly and put in our room, all favourite dvd, medicines, tissues, olbas oil, juice bottle, sick bucket and bin and then we are prepared for the night ahead. I think having the comfort of being with mummy or daddy when ill is just soothing and helps them cope.

[stefalfie11]

A bath, some painkillers if required, cuddles in bed with us and lots of childrens programmes/DVD's