Only about more than two weeks to go before classes start, and this would only mean, our school-aged children would have to start sleeping early once again.
If your child’s bedtime schedule did not change because of the summer vacation, then lucky you. But if your family is like most families then the time to go back to regular school day bedtime schedule should begin now.
Two weeks is a good lead time to deal with protests, requests for an additional 30 minute extension to play or watch their favorite show, and generally to reset their body clocks. So what is the ideal bedtime for kids, well most families have their kids sleep between 8:00 and 9:00 PM. Personally, I put my children to sleep by seven in the evening to give me time for chores, some downtime with the mister, and generally to rest from a long day of parenting and homemaking (and writing for this blog too!). Having them on an early bedtime saves my sanity, and although they wake up really early, I am generally happy that I have become a morning person because of this schedule. I did find some great articles on Sleeping Guide Mattress Website which gave me a few tips and tricks to make sure I get plenty of rest during the night. I was bit surprised but once I adjusted my schedule and habits and gave some time, I can say that those tips were very handy!
So for parents out there, here are some tips on
How to get kids to sleep early:
- Slowly ease into an early sleep schedule. Children usually hate surprises, so the best thing to do at this point is to start making their bedtime early by 30-minute pockets until you reach their desired bedtime. They will definitely protest being asked to sleep by 7:30 when they are used to sleep till 9 in the evening.
- Engage them in physical activities. Allow your children to play outside, run around, sweat, and do sports. Physical activities will make them yearn for rest. In my experience, swimming wears out little bodies real well, so if you have an access to a pool, allow them to enjoy the water!
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- No sweets two hours before bedtime. If you allow your children to have sweets, especially chocolates, discourage them from eating two to three hours before bedtime. This also applies to chocolate drinks. Sweets, especially caffeine-laced chocolates keep them alert, making it hard for them to snooze early.
- Have a Quiet Time. Avoid visual stimulation two hours before bedtime too. This means, TVs and Gadgets (if you allow them some gadget time) should be turned off as well two hours before their intended bedtime. This is because the visual and mental stimulation they get from TV and gadgets bombard their senses, making it hard for them to calm down and relax.
- Get back into your bedtime routine. If you do not have something like this, then now is the time to establish one. It is as simple as bath time or a wash-up before bed, tooth brush, changing into PJs, story-telling and then nightly prayers. Your child’s mind will somehow be programmed that he or she needs to sleep when you start doing the routine, and then ease into it.
- Lights Out. There is nothing like zero stimulation that will make the kids sleepy. Turn of all the lights if possible. No TV, no sounds. And avoid tinkering with your gadget while making your child sleep. If your room will need a black out curtain like this, then buy one (you can do so here).If your child will demand that a night light be turned on, then go with that, but only a night light. Buy night lights here.
- Make it comfy. Make sure that your child’s room, or wherever he sleeps in is comfortable enough to induce sleep. If you have air conditioning, turn it on for your child, if none then make him or her wear comfortable clothes, and make sure there is a fan in the room, and the windows are open (with the screens closed of course). Here are some air conditioning deals you may want to check out – which can be on a cash on delivery basis, delivered right into your home. Some can even be bought by installment – check it out here.
- Do not let them sleep in too late. Allowing your kids to sleep in until 10 in the morning, will just give them more energy to sleep in later in the evening. Encourage them to wake up early by giving them activities and preparing a great breakfast. Here are some happy breakfast ideas you may want too check out.
So there you have it. Better start early instead of two to three days before classes start.
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A Happy Homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!
Leaving you with a video on how to encourage children to sleep early:
