Bedtime habits that helped my child finally sleep peacefully. Learn practical tips on routines, screen time, sleep environment, and healthy daily habits for better sleep.
Putting my child to bed seemed a long outdated struggle. Every so often he could roll beneath his covers and stay put, or even ask for a glass of water, other times he would get up from bed several times and on the extreme end not sleep for almost the whole night with them even entertaining thoughts. So, deep into the night when the sweet sleep finally comes to rescue everyone is always weary, well that’s including me. And I was on the losing end of my internal monologue wondering why I couldn’t get it right.
At some point it improved, and improvements which I had thought unimaginable started to take place from behind one or the other idea. It wasn’t the case where one magic wad could fix everything in one night, but rather in the succession of a couple of steps which made my child more relaxed and receptive to sleep.
What helped the most was the introduction of the bedtime routine. So every evening, it was the same sequence of activities— bathing, changing clothes, cleaning teeth, reading a book and off to sleep, all in the specified time. Initially, it didn’t make sense at all but then in a couple of weeks, I had a child used to the routine. And it was no longer an embarrassing showdown during the bedtime sequences because it was somehow a part now.
There was a reduction of screen time in addition to the prevention of intensive computer and television playing. Each of us stopped using our tablets, cellular phones and for the biggest part of the last hour before we went to bed. Instead, such free time was spent on reading books, drawing, listening to calming music and so on. My daughter was calm, and without the daunting bright screens, she was more eager to sleep.
Speaking of the child sleeping pattern rehabilitation I found a solution in helping my daughter to create a nice sleep environment in the bedroom where there is an opportunity to sleep comfortably. It was hard to say ‘no’ when she wanted me to close the curtains, switch off the lights and put the air condition up inducting a state of darkness. A knitted patchwork pillow and a stuffed animal were placed instead of me besides my child. Indeed, while performing my professional duties every day, I have realized that even the smallest issues go a long way in ensuring the child gets the sleep.
There was also a difference in the past few days from the regular routine to the children’s active play. Really helped me to note to have allowed the children to play running sports or riding a bicycle or playing in the field each day, as they often go to sleep instantly. It is very difficult to sleep if my son has had to stay indoors for most of the day.
It is also important to mind the food choices. Indeed sweet foods and substances such as ice creams and sugary beverages should be banned especially after an evening meal. Alternatively, we aimed to finish the supper course a while before sleep so that one could have some juice in case one needed.
Since I do not like my child to go to bed either hungry or filled, I have never seen him getting to sleep for more than an hour. Another thing that I recognized a long time ago was sometimes we tend to force a child to sleep. If my child doesn’t feel asleep after short period, we sit and read a book, not a nap book obviously or practice slow breath in and out. And the latter worked better in most cases than the former. Kids easily sense when a parent is angry, which worsens the situation on bedtime.
Perhaps, having to wait to the end of the ordeal was the most challenging aspect of it all. There were soe nights wich proved difficult and some progress was not always guaranteed. However, instead of looking forward to immediate changes, I was motivated to adhere to schedules. In the end, I found that the good nights kept inreasing and that the bad ones waned.
From my present experience the nighttime custom is very less anxiety causing but felt peaceful in contrast. As a result, my daughter used to go to bed in lesser time, woke up much happier, and as a natural corollary, the family members attended to their sleeping patterns. I have come to see that it is the small changes we make in our daily lives that have the biggest effects.
Since each child is different, not all of the tips we practiced will work to the ‘t’: ‘parents and a child again’ the logic arising even in other families. Nonetheless, daily routine enhancement, reduction of TV use, promoting more activities, ensuring a quiet sleep, and lastly, being foqused – those are parenting skills that many caregivers will definitely attempt. Sometimes, in the quest for a more comfortable and fairer sleeping pattern, particularly for a young baby, it’s okay not to want for any one particular option rather it’s more wise to begin working towards healthy behaviors.
