123 Magic Tips and Tricks: Bed-Time

Bedtime is another one of those potentially explosive times where parents are exhausted, and kids love to drag out their bedtime for as long as possible! Why do kids do this? Often, it’s because they deem it boring to be laying on their bed with nothing to do or their anxiety increases about that scary monster lurking under the bed.

One of the most important parts about bedtime is the routine that leads up to it. Kids need structure and predictability to feel safe and a routine goes a long way in establishing that just before it’s time to fall asleep. A helpful way of establishing a bedtime routine is to clearly explain what needs to be done within the 30 minutes before they need to be in bed. Trying to keep the routine to a maximum of 30 minutes is ideal.

The research is clear that kids who follow a bedtime routine are more likely to:

  • Fall asleep earlier
  • Take less time falling asleep
  • Sleep longer
  • Wake up less during the night

Now what parent doesn’t want that? It is important however to expect that the process of bed-time is likely to take a while longer for some kids who like to throw a few tantrums at bedtime. Here are a few tips that may help you to manage these difficult night-time behaviours. When you have completed your bedtime routine:

  • No talking and no emotion
  • Sit on a chair outside the room, no eye contact.
  • If your child tries to leave the room, guide them or place them back onto the bed, no talking!
  • You can try sitting on a chair in their room and then each night progressively move the chair toward the door until you’re out of there!

Tips for Night time waking:

  • Assume they need the toilet; kids often wake up because they need to use the toilet but are unable to communicate this.
  • No lights! Any light can signal to your child’s brain that it is daytime and begin to wake them up.
  • No talking or emotion, the more you talk or the more emotional you get, the greater the chances your child’s brain will start to wake up more.
  • Guide them back to their bed. Usually, kids will go straight back to bed; if not, tickle their back until they are sleepy or sit next to their bed until they fall back asleep.
  • A night light for some kids can help their fear of the dark.