If your children’s bedtime is tiring you out, there are ways to make it better.
First, create a consistent, calm bedtime routine. A warm bath, books and maybe some songs are a wonderful way to relax your child no matter what their age. I recommend infants under 6 months be swaddled and have white noise to listen to.
Make sure your children are going to bed at the right time so they can get the right amount of sleep for their age. Do not make the mistake of thinking that keeping them awake late will make bedtime easier. When you put a child to bed after their “sleep window” (the time they are naturally ready to go to sleep), their body begins producing the stress hormone cortisol instead of the calming hormone melatonin. Once cortisol is released, it is harder for your child to go to sleep; they are more likely to wake during the night, and more likely to wake earlier in the morning.
For an older child (2.5 and up) sticker charts can be wonderful motivators. Pick 3 or 4 items to list on the chart; making one of them relatively easy so they are almost always guaranteed to get one sticker. We do want bedtime to be a positive experience. Have a family meeting to introduce the sticker chart and explain the rules they need to follow at bedtime. Explain to them that if they go to bed on time and sleep well, they will have more fun the next day.
If your children stall at night, figure out before bedtime how you will handle it. If they constantly want more drinks of water for example, tell them before you put them to bed they may have a drink now, but once they are in bed they may not come out for more. You can add that to their sticker chart. And then be consistent and do not cave.
Consistency is the most important thing when trying to change a behavior. In fact, if you do decide to sleep train your child, the most important thing is not necessarily what method you pick, it’s how consistent you are that will determine your success or failure.
Written By Michelle Winters, Gentle Sleep Coach
Michelle Winters graduated from the College of William and Mary with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and is a Certified Gentle Sleep Coach. Working with infants, toddlers, and preschool aged children at a Montessori school has made her aware of how prevalent sleep difficulties are. She decided she wanted to do something to help all the tired parents out there, especially since she had been one of those tired parents until very recently when her 3 year old son finally started sleeping through the night. She can help you create a plan that will have your child sleeping better at night and at naptime. Her website is www.sleepwellsleepsolutions.com.
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