An important aspect of our lives is getting the right amount of sleep every night. This includes uninterrupted sleep for your child as well. Getting ready for bed should be a calm and relaxing way to end the day. For kids, this can be a way to wind down through various bedtime activities. One way to have a set sort of activities before bed is through a bedtime routine. A bedtime routine occurs 1 to 2 hours before a child’s bedtime and lets your child know that it is almost time to sleep. Consistency is significant for bedtime routines as it helps a child fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and have better daytime behaviors. The routine can also help your child sleep better through the night! A bedtime routine is crucial as it sets up your child to have a better mood the next day! Furthermore, when looking at creating a bedtime routine for your child, there are a few things to keep in mind.
How to create an effective bedtime routine
1. Keep the bedtime routine consistent every single night. This would also apply to weekends! Any sort of disruption in a bedtime routine can affect your child’s sleep schedule.
2. Try to use more calming activities closer to your child’s bedtime. These can include sitting and reading a book together in bed or getting some cuddles before bed. Incorporate more active events in the beginning of your child’s bedtime routine. This includes taking a bath, brushing your teeth or changing into pajamas.
3. Remember to limit screen time and it would also be useful to dim the lights. This is a clear sign for your child that it is almost time to go to sleep.
4. Make sure your child does not eat right before bed. This can cause disruption in their sleep due to having trouble digesting their meal.
With these general guidelines, a bedtime routine can be personalized specifically to your child’s needs and help them get the sleep they require!
How to help your child when they have sleep related problems:
When it comes to bedtime, some children may have trouble sleeping through the night or even staying in bed. Some common phrases such as “Can I have some water?” or “I have to use the bathroom” could be used in order to delay going to sleep. This delay in going to sleep can affect the amount of sleep the child gets at night hence affecting their mood the very next day and possibly causing some challenging behavior. Overall, sleep is very crucial for children, but it can be interrupted due to constantly getting out of bed in order to delay sleeping. One solution to these multiple interruptions in bedtime and staying in bed is a bedtime pass.
What is a bedtime pass?
A bedtime pass is an easy to carry out, evidence-based strategy that can be utilized to help make bedtime and falling asleep a smoother transition for both the parent and child. Children often leave their beds and ask for special requests such as getting more water or extra cuddles. Usually, these special requests will occur during the bedtime routine or right after. One way to lessen these special requests could be to provide a bedtime pass that allows the child to ask for a glass of water, an extra hug/tuck-in, or another cuddle limited amounts of times throughout the night. This is done by providing a tangible bedtime pass that allows them to ask for a special request. However, once the bedtime passes have all been used, they can no longer ask for more special requests.
How do I use a bedtime pass in my child’s bedtime routine?
To begin using a bedtime pass for your child, it is very important to make sure the child understands all aspects of the bedtime pass.
- Explain to your child that the bedtime pass can be used to leave their room to get a snack, drink, water, or whatever else your child might need to leave their bed for. But once the bedtime passes have all been used up, they may not leave their bed any more throughout the night.
- Make sure your child knows where the bedtime passes are. It could be useful to place them in a nightstand next to your child’s bed for easy access.
- However, once the pass has been used, it should be removed from the nightstand. Explain to your child how many passes are available and that once their passes have all been used, they need to stay in their room and can no longer leave their bed for more special requests.
Once all of the provided passes have been used, it is crucial that you do not answer them if they call out for special requests from their bedroom.
Initially, your child might need some reminders that they have used their bedtime passes and can no longer leave their room. But overtime they will need less and less reminders and be able to sleep without having any disruptions!
Bedtime can be a stressful time. You want your child to get the sleep they need. Incorporating a consistent bedtime routine can be a way to help your child sleep better. However, sometimes sleep related problems can arise and a bedtime pass can help. A bedtime pass can be a useful tool to help your child stay in bed throughout the night. There is a print-out below for some bedtime pass cut outs. Feel free to print them (click here) and use them in your child’s bedtime routine!
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