Should you drop the sleep routine when your baby is sick?

Getting sick is part of life, even in a clean home, and it turns the nights upside down. The question Kyra gets most about this is whether everything you've built up has to go out the window for a while.

The answer is no

You don't have to throw everything overboard. In fact: the more unpredictable a child feels, the more a familiar order helps.

So keep the basics in place, and add extra comfort on top. Not the other way around.

What you see in those days

More need for closeness and cuddles, waking up more often, and harder falling asleep. But also the reverse: some children sleep more, especially during the day, because sleep is needed to recover.

Both are normal, and both are fine.

With a baby who has a cold, the night wakings stand out most, and that's exactly when keeping the fixed order helps.

Tonight: recovery comes first

As long as your child is sick, safety and recovery come first. Do what's needed at that moment to let your child sleep. Extra comfort is logical and loving then, not something to feel guilty about.

One practical point from Kyra: if you don't want to leave your child alone at night, move yourself to their room instead of bringing your child into your bed. That way the sleep environment stays the same, and that's exactly the part you won't have to undo afterwards.

Watch out for the habit that sticks

This is where most parents run into trouble in this week. Drinking is always fine, but be careful not to reintroduce old habits you had just phased out.

And however sick, children keep testing limits. Comforting isn't the same as giving in to every request.

Back to normal, in three steps

A small setback isn't a failure, and you don't start over. Your child still knows how it works and only needs a reminder.

Kyra's order once things get better: first restore the fixed bedtime routine, then the predictability of the night, and then gradually wind down the extra help you gave.

If the restlessness lasts longer than the illness itself, check whether something else is going on. Around these moments, teething or a leap often play a part too.