It's Really Only a Purple World

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep: The Battles of Bedtime

Although my daughter is a teenager, I still face the same issues that all moms face in not only getting your child to go to bed, but to actually go to sleep.

Twittermoms and St. Eve Kids has challenged bloggers to  post about "What are your five tips & tricks for getting your kids to bed on time and getting them to stay in bed?"  This is what I have to say about the answer to that question.

(1) I found early on that abruptly asking a child to go to bed doesn't give them the time that they need to wind down from their busy and active days and go from an active awake state to a sedentary sleepy state.  Kids of all ages need a gradual shift towards settling down enough to drift off to sleep when in bed.

(2) It is important to make sure that all attempts at eating and snacking are done prior to your child going to sleep as well.  If ones body is busy digesting food it will have a terrible time quieting down enough to drift off to sleep.

(3) If your child wants the light on or the door open, so be it.  Better that then to make a child feel afraid in their own bed.  Don't make it an issue; it just isn't worth it.

(4) When my daughter was younger, I used to periodically put cool lamps in her room that created designs on the ceiling.  She often used these peaceful designs to help her drift off into sleep.

(5) Most important is keeping a childs schedule consistent.  When they have long breaks from school, try not to let them sleep in to late ( this is the one that I am usually the most guilty of doing).  It will be that much harder when the break is over.

Thanks Twittermoms and St. Eve Kids for bringing up this topic!