Four Ways to Get Your Child to Sleep on Time

Are your children still awake even when it is already late at night? This is actually a common scenario that causes woe to everyone in the family the following day. If you want to get your children to sleep, ensure you know what your mistakes are and the changes that you have to implement. You are probably making at least one of the following mistakes:

• Failing to Let your Child Stick to a Routine

  Children sleep on time if they stick to a regular bedtime routine. This means that you need to ensure they turn in at the same time every night. First, help your children wind down one hour before their bedtime. Turn the dimmers on and make the atmosphere calming. Consider playing a gentle muscle or cuddle your child by the fireside to help him feel relaxed and fall to sleep in no time.

• Failing to Use Up Extra Energy During the Day

  You will know when your children have too much energy. In most cases, you can find them bouncing off the ceiling when it is already time for bed. To ensure your children have already used up their energy, get them involved in exercises. Encourage playtime so that your children can move and explore the space. But even if you have to let your children stay inside your house, you still have to motivate them to exercise.

• Bending the Rules

  If you tell your children to go to bed for a bedtime story, ensure you follow through. Otherwise, your children will think they are in charge. Sure, your family has rules in terms of bedtime but make sure you stick to them. Also, ensure consistency. If you tell your children to go to bed at 8 o’clock tonight, don’t let them stay up until 9 o’clock. Don’t get them confused so they know how to behave at bedtime.

• Encouraging to Stay Awake by Giving Rewards

  Even if your children don’t seem to be hitting the bed soon, you still want to be kind to them so you offer them something. However, doing so will only encourage your children to stay awake. Avoid giving treats such as candies and sweet drinks when your children are awake at night. Also, do not give long cuddles since this might only make separate difficult later. Lastly, never allow playtime to begin.

When getting your kids to sleep, it is best to use positive reinforcement. You can let them stay up on Fridays and Saturdays as long as they go to bed on time during other days. Keep in mind that lack of sleep will make your children tired and unhappy.

How do you get your child to sleep at night? Please share with Step One Academy LLC in the comments below. We are a leading provider of Early Childhood Education in Plainfield NJ. If you have questions for us, feel free to contact us at 908-753-8252 or 908-753-8253.