Getting your kids to go to sleep on time at night can often be a stressful, difficult thing. But we all struggle through it because we know how necessary it is for our kids to get a proper night’s sleep. Getting the right hours of sleep promotes a kid’s capability to learn, follow easy instructions and focus on detail. It also seriously affects mood and behavior. To help you make bedtime a relaxing experience for you and your youngsters, here are some ways in which you can have a calming environment at bedtime.
Make consistent bedtime schedules for each kid. Consider getting you and your other half on a consistent schedule as well. This consistency lessens the fight of getting your children to cooperate at bedtime. It also improves sleep patterns and gets their body used to winding down at night and waking back up in the morning.
Create a bed-time routine that starts at least a half hour before sleep. This can signal to your kid the day is winding down and they are preparing for bed. This routine can include quiet-time, story time, brushing teeth and washing up, a favorite TV show, anything that relaxes and does not create excitement before bed. Doing this may also make bedtime a delightful experience for your children and cause less in-and-out of bed situations.
Let your kid have some say on what their favourite bedtime routine ought to include. Including children in decision-making breaks down resistance to the process and permits things to go a lot smoother, especially if your child looks forward to this routine instead of trying to avoid it. Let them choose the activities and objects concerned like toys, games and books. Don’t restrict them unless the activities and objects chosen are not productive.
Draw a difference between being in the bedroom and being in bed. This can signal to them that the bedtime routine is over and it’s time for sleep. Remember you can’t make your kid sleep at a particular time each night, they must do so naturally. But you can set them up to get the optimal amount of sleep by creating a calming environment and ensuring they’re in their bedroom. Taking them away from the activity in the other areas of the house and placing them in their bedroom with their favourite toys or books, will help them in going to sleep quickly.
Remove distractions and stimulus at bedtime. Turn off music, TV, video games and end brisk activities.
Avoid bright lights including laptop screens. These things signal the brain it is daytime and make settling down to sleep more troublesome.
Make the bedroom fun and inviting for your kid. Fill the room with things that reflect your child’s personality and personal tastes. Give them input on the colors, and decor. A clever idea is to get a bedding set with their number one sports team or cartoon character on it. These things make the bedroom an exciting, positive place and it will not be nearly as much of a struggle to get them to go there at night.
If your child gets up after being put to bed, return them to their room or ignore their calls unless urgent. Positive reinforcement of this activity leads to poor habits. It can be difficult not to respond to your child asking for you, however if you continue to reply they will do it more conistently to drag out bedtime.
Limit sugar and caffeine intake before bedtime. Permitting children to consume stimulants like these will only make your job harder. Best practice is to avoid anything with caffeine or sugar after dinner/dessert is over. Stick to snacks that are low in sugar and not heavy.
Indulge children in things that make them more at ease at bedtime like a night light, or leaving the door open a crack to let light in, and playing soft music in the background. Children won’t sleep if they are nervous so it’s critical to put them at ease if you don’t want to be called to their room many times a night.
Give them something soft to cuddle. Kids frequently feel lonely at bed time. Giving them a favorite pillow, blanky, stuffed animal or doll can be useful.
Get a little sleep yourself! When you are well rested, the house is a more happy, more relaxed place. Try your own bedtime routine. After putting the child to bed avoid playing loud music, television or having guests over late into the night.
Pamela Noble writes useful articles on common household topics for Boyho.net . You’ll find more information on boy’s bedding and girl’s bedding on the Boyho site.