Sleep is necessary. It energizes our body and mind so that we can begin each day at our very best. Yet, to anyone with little children, a sleep routine can become a tedious task. A task that is all too often filled with tears, tantrums and time outs.
Bedtime should never be a negative experience. With a few simple changes to your little one’s bedtime routine, you will be able to keep your sanity and perhaps even have some time to yourself!
Choose a bedtime! You can’t start anything until you know the goal. Depending on your child’s age, decide on a bedtime that works for both of you. Remember, the younger the child, the more sleep he/she will need!
Set the mood! Children are influenced by their environment. Consider diming the lights, turning off the TV and playing some relaxing music to set the stage for sleep! Ideally, you want to start this at least an hour prior to bedtime.
Bath time! I think we can all agree that there is just something fantastic about bath time. Throw in a couple of your child’s favourite bath toys and fill with bubbles. The warm bath will help your child de-stress and relax. Plus, they will smell fabulous!
PJ time! After a nice bath, allow your child to pick out their favourite PJs to wear to bed. They get to enjoy a little independence and it reassures them that they are sticking to a consistent bedtime routine.
Reading time! Reading to your child is not only relaxing, but fun. Who doesn’t want to slay a dragon or fly with a Pegasus before bedtime?
Bedtime! A couple kisses and a few snuggles later, your child should be able to relax comfortably in their bed and be off to dreamland shortly.
Just be consistent each night and your little one will have a sleep routine you can both appreciate in no time at all! Keep in mind that each child/household is different, so don’t be afraid to change things up a bit to fit your needs.
Plus, you may find that perhaps a bath every other night works best and instead, play a quiet board game with your child!
Anne Taylor says
We have 2 grandchildren coming in early 2015 and one of them lives with us so we’ll be trying to figure out the sleeping thing again, very soon! Thanks for the great tips!
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
I was lucky, I never had too much trouble with getting my children to bed (all 7 of them). One of my daughters however hasn’t slept through the night since her first was born 2 yrs ago! She’s been to sleep clinics (I’d never heard of such a thing before) several times and hears that she’d doing everything right but that’s no help if the child still isn’t sleeping now is it!
Amy Lovell says
These are all very helpful tips that I can use for my daughter she is 4 so she thinks going to bed at 7 is way too early. LOL
kathy+downey says
Setting a bedtime routine for baby is so inportant for every one in the home
Mike Gismondi says
A sleep routine saved us with our kids!
Evren says
Thanks for the great advice!
Laurie P says
My kids routine just kinda fell into place. We always just went with the flow of things and everything worked out and routines just happened….luck I guess!
jamie hall says
sleep routines are so important
kathy downey says
I find this time of year hard to get back into routine,after summer
salexis says
I think this is the biggest challenge for parents! Sleep is SO IMPORTANT and we get SO LITTLE quality sleep through parenthood!
kathy downey says
I had no problem with my babies sleeping,but my sister had a hard time