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Let’s talk about bedtime…
Yeah, I hear you. Bedtime can be a war with kids.
One child wants a few more minutes on his iPad… the other child wants to finish her movie… and somehow your toddler won’t stop crying.
And there you are, exhausted from the hustle and bustle of the day, looking forward to a few hours of peace and quiet. Seems tonight is not your night. Perhaps the week hasn’t been your week either. We’ve all been there.
That’s why I want to share these cool tricks to help your turn around this awful bedtime routine.
It’s a win-win. You get some time to yourself and your children get to sleep better.
Do I have your attention now?
Tip #1: Reduce Nap Time
How long is your child’s nap time? While taking short naps is highly recommended for children, you should be aware of the duration of each nap. If you let your child spend all day sleeping, rest assured they won’t do any sleeping at bedtime. First, I will advise you to find out how much sleep your child needs and find a way to schedule the naps such that they still look forward to going to bed at night.
Tip #2: No heavy meal before bedtime
Certain foods like caffeine or heavy meals must be avoided if you want your child to sleep well at night. You should also pay attention to their dinner and sleep patterns so that you can tell which food is not good for them as dinner. Don’t allow their dinner keep them from sleeping.
Tip #3: Slow activities after dinner
Kids are so full of energy. Although staying active is a great way to tire them out, I will advise you to do that during the day, not close to bedtime. If they get active close to bedtime, there is a good chance that that energy will keep them alert and wide awake for a very long time. You definitely don’t want that.
I prefer slower activities after dinner. They could discuss, tell stories, talk about school, play board games, or whatever involves few movements and no screen. This goes into setting the mood for bedtime. You will be happy you did.
Tip #4: Shut it all down
Breaking a child off the screens is one of the reasons bedtime is such a hassle. They are either in the middle of a movie or stuck in a level of a game. To ease the bedtime routine, you may want to start announcing before the time. Give them something like a countdown and once it is time, shut it all down.
You may think staring at the screen will make them dizzy, but it doesn’t work that way with kids. They could be there all night, dizzy as can be, and still stay up into the night staring at those screens.
Your best bet is to turn off all screens. This will limit their activities and send the signal that it is time for bed. They will get bored soon and crawl into their beds.
Tip #5 Maintain the same routine
It is easy to fall off the bedtime schedule, especially during summer and holidays. What you end up doing is ruining their body’s sleep-wake cycle. Get your child accustomed to a bedtime routine and things will get easier for you. Since it is a routine, they are well aware of the activities and the time allocated to each. Soon enough, they will be the ones reminding you that it is almost bedtime.
Tip #6: Wait it out
You have set the mood and followed your routine, but they seem to be fighting it? Your best bet is to wait it out. The beginning of every routine is always challenging, however, it gets easier with time.
The same trick applies to crying toddlers. They may start crying and trying to get out of their cribs. It’s completely normal. Don’t give in to their cries. Instead, wait it out. If you need to be in the room with them, then do that, but don’t let them get out. Soon, they will realize that crying is no way to avoid bedtime.
Conclusion
Bedtime is a scary time for many parents. Some kids hate bedtime too. So, it is a war every night. But it doesn’t have to be. You can get your child to bed easily night after night with this bedtime routine. No hassle. No struggle. Thank me later!
