Do your kids have a hard time going to sleep at night? A consistent bedtime routine will help.
As the 3rd of 7 children, a once upon a time nanny and now the mother of 3 crazy awesome kids, I have come to learn the importance of a good bedtime routine.
The fact is kids need sleep. Way more sleep than they often get in today’s world. Sleep is soo important for tiny bodies as well as big ones (I know I am one to talk I am writing this late at night. But hey its the only time I can work uninterrupted…) Anyways, sleep is essential for a healthy and even happy body. Studies have shown that not enough sleep can lead to a lot of problems like suffering from irritability, anxiety, forgetfulness, experience difficulties regulating emotions, learning problems and more.
So how do we help our kids to get the proper amounts of sleep that they need (see how much sleep is recommended for your child’s age here) The key is a consistent bedtime routine. Having a consistent bedtime routine will help your child to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up rested and refreshed and ready for their day. Good sleep will help their bodies heal, and rejuvenate as they grow and develop giving them that needed an edge to be successful in their lives.
The first element for a good bedtime routine is having a set bedtime. For our family we have our kids go to bed earlier on weeknights (since they have to get early on school days) and a little later on weekends when wake up time is a little more relaxed.
Other elements of our current bedtime routine include:
- Getting in Pajamas
- Brushing teeth
- Saying bedtime prayers
- A few songs and a chapter or two from our current book.
The last part of the bedtime songs and reading (by me of course) is something I started a few years ago out of necessity. Before my husband and I would just have our kids get ready for bed to say a prayer and tell them to go to sleep. However, long afterward we would hear whispers and giggles coming from their room showing us they weren’t really going to sleep when they needed to.
So, I started singing a few songs to our kids and found that in doing so they would fall asleep quicker and deeper. Adding reading out loud from our current book has caused my kids to actually look forward to bedtime while at the same time serves to help my kids calm their minds and bodies preparing them for deeper sleep (since my requirement for singing and reading is that they remain quiet and still while I do so.)
Yes, this last part of our routine takes some of my personal time each night, but the results are well worth it for I don’t have to keep getting up and reminding my kids to go to sleep and stop talking to each other.
Your routine can be simple or more elaborate depending on what works best for your kids, this is just what works for ours. If you aren’t sure what elements your kids need in their bedtime routine to help them to go to sleep at night, then experiment. You will know when you have found that right formula for your family. Then it is just a matter of sticking with it even when it is inconvenient. It may not always be easy (like when traveling or when guest are visiting) but it is soo worth it.
What are some of your Bedtime Routines MUSTS? Do share in the comments.
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