Better bedtime routine for your child that is proven to help kids go to sleep earlier, sleep longer, and have less nightly wake-ups.
Sleep is by far the number one issue for parents of primary school children. Children seem to never sleep, partly because children’s sleep cycles are so different from our own.
However, the one consistent finding from all research is that having a bedtime routine helps make bedtime easier and helps them sleep longer and better.
Children with a regular bedtime routine fell asleep faster, had an earlier bedtime, had fewer night wakings, and slept longer than children who did not have a regular bedtime routine!
‘The benefits of a good bedtime routine spill over into other aspects of your child’s life as well – PILES’.
Prevent problems at bedtime:
- Keep computers, TVs, and mobile phones out of bedrooms. Using devices instead of sleeping makes your child tired in the morning.
- Your child should avoid caffeine after 3 pm. Caffeine keeps you awake.
- Make sure your child falls asleep in bed each night, rather than in a family area.
- What steps you do are important — but the most important thing is doing it consistently. Do the steps in the same order and have the same 3 to 4 steps every night. For example, bath, teeth and story.
Continue to do the same four things before bed (even if it doesn’t work always) – this creates continuity and certainty in your child’s day.
Question: What is the difference between your routine and the terrorist?
- Start Your Child’s Bedtime Routine at the Right Time (and earlier than you think)
2. If you have a child who resists bedtime and can’t settle, then most likely, they need more sleep than they are currently getting – OVER TIRED.
Try making their bedtime routine 15 minutes earlier for a week and see what happens. No changes? Make it 15 minutes earlier again. You will eventually find the optimum bed time.
- Keep Your Child’s Bedtime Routine Short and Sweet
One thing I often hear from parents who are struggling to get their kids to bed is just how hard they are working at it — “We wind down for an hour of quiet play, then we have a relaxing bath, and then we read, sing a song…” (There is such a thing as trying too hard when it comes to bedtime routines.
Too much of a routine can have the opposite effect and create more anxiousness.
Your bedtime routine, whatever it is, should be short and sweet.
What to Try When Your Child Has Anxiety at Bedtime ?
During the transition to a more consistent routine or at times in your child’s life that they have a lot going on, they may start to resist the routine or have trouble settling down.
Night-time is a normal time to think about our worries. As parents, we do this too. When the day slows down and we lay down to sleep, sometimes in the quietness, we begin to notice our worries.
The same happens for children too. The difference is, they may not be able to say, “Hey Mom, I’m stressed.” Instead, they say — “don’t leave,” “stay with me,” “I can’t sleep.”
- Do or say something silly and laugh to help reduce any anxiety
- Add in “special time”. So before the story have a short time of about 5 minutes where ye both chat and reconnect. Tell her some things you love about her, ask her about some nice things that happened during her day. Not a time for heavy conversation.
- Maybe they are hungry and need a snack. Ensure they are not hungry before bedtime.
- How do you as a parent feel during bedtime routine – tired, stressed, under pressure etc?
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