Every parent knows just how tough bedtime can be. You do everything right with feeding times and sleeping during the day and you cross your fingers about 95% of the day hoping beyond hope that your tiny angel will drift off to sleep at the perfect moment so that you can get on with something, anything else in the evening. But, unfortunately, most of the time, it doesn’t work.
Sleepless nights are a pain but you forgive you child because they don’t know any better. That doesn’t mean that you are going to give up though.
Here are some top tips for helping your child go off to sleep at night time:
Good Sleep Habits
One of the best methods is to create a rigid routine. Make sure your child has a clearly defined bedtime and always stick to it. Any deviation and they are likely to get the idea that they can take advantage all the time. Pick at time and stick to it. Start the routine with a bath, then maybe a story and then tuck them up in the sack. Then if they try and get up, put them straight back to bed. Then if they do it again, put them back in firmly. Keep this up until they relent and continue the routine indefinitely. Eventually they will get the idea and it will only get easier.
Tire Them Out
Sometimes children just have too much energy so in order to make sure they are actually sleepy at bed time; introduce a hobby or activity that will tire them out every night. This might be a game of football in the back garden, taking the dog for a walk, or regular extracurricular activities in the evening.
Calm Surroundings
Sometimes all they need is a less stimulating environment. Try to remove toys and televisions and computers from their bedroom. Replace these with story books and soothing lighting and keep their toys in another room. This way they will hopefully see their bedroom as just a place for sleep. Childrens books can really help to put your child to sleep as books for children are normally simple and are short. Plus if you get books that are about going to sleep and dreaming they may well start looking forward to bedtime and hearing a story that acts as inspiration and as a lullaby for putting them to sleep.
Goodnight and good luck!
Sam Qam writes books for children. He has been writing childrens books for several years after giving up his job as a criminal psychologist.
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