10 Tips for Ending Bedtime Battles

Bedtime is one of the hardest moments for parents each day. For many children bedtime is a daily struggle, pitting their need for sleep against their desire to stay up and continue having fun. Helping children create a peaceful bedtime routine each day will help your children get the rest they need and save you from the daily fight. Here are ten tips to help you end bedtime battles and get your children into bed.

Give opportunities for play during the day. Children have more energy than adults do and need to burn it all off before they can relax and go to sleep. Give your child many opportunities to play, especially outside play, so that they will not be too full of energy to sleep. If bedtime is consistently a battle to keep your children in their beds evaluate whether or not they are getting enough time during the day to use their energy stores.

Change nap schedules. Young children that are still taking naps during the day may have a harder time sleeping at night. Consider reducing or cutting out their naps during the day to make bedtime easier. However, this is not without it's own risks. You may find your child becoming more irritable in the evenings and may have to reset bedtime to an earlier time at night. Try this new schedule for at least a week to see if this helps reduce the bedtime fighting.

Keep a routine. Too often parents change the bedtime routine if it is not working immediately, in hopes that the next will have better results. However children thrive best on routine, on being able to predict what will happen next. Create a routine that will work for you and your family and stick with it. It may take days or weeks for your children to adapt to the schedule, but once they have bedtime will be much smoother for it.

Turn off the television. In most homes relaxing in front of the television is a common sight. However, rather than relaxing children it can often make it harder for them to sleep at night. Even if your children seem to be calm and relaxed while watching a cartoon, it can lead to being restless when it is time to sleep. Turn off the television at least one hour before bedtime and instead fill that time with more soothing activities.

Make bedtime relaxing. Make bedtime a time when your children can relax and unwind from the day. Warm baths, reading stories, and even just cuddling together talking can all help your child feel calmer. Little things such as calming scents, soft music, and dim lighting can all help bring more relaxation to bedtime. For very young children massaging on a scented lotion after a warm bath will be the perfect way to feel relaxed and ready to sleep.

Gradually transition into bedtime. Suddenly announcing that it is bedtime can shake a previously relaxed child back into tension. Instead of making it a sudden shift at the end of the day create a gentle transition that will ease your child into bedtime. Part of this is having a soothing routine that your child can use to move into night. You can also accomplish this by letting your children know well ahead of bedtime what is to happen next. Gentle reminders that they will be beginning their bedtime routine soon will help children transition into it.

Keep bedtime snacks light. For some children a small snack before bed can help them fall asleep. However, a snack that is too heavy or rich may not sit right in their stomachs and make it harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. Stick with light, easily digestible snacks such as crackers, popcorn, and . Avoid snacks that are heavily spiced or contain too much sugar, and for some children avoid dairy treats such as cheese or creams.

Make bedtime a special time. Children can often fight sleep to keep their parents coming back to them frequently. You can avoid this by making sure that each child gets special attention before going to sleep. For families with many children this can be difficult to do, but taking an extra five minutes to let each child have a quiet moment to share with you. Take that time to read a short story or just talk about your child's day. Doing this can eliminate the need for frequent visits to your child's bed.

Create a feeling of security. For very young children or children going through a rough time bedtime can bring out feelings of insecurity. Doing what you can to make your child feel safe both in their home and in the fact that you will still be there can ease much of their bedtime stress. How you do this differs for each child. For some children you may need to be prepared to stay with them in their rooms until their insecurity passes, or you may try co-sleeping and allow your child to sleep in your bed. Whatever you choose be supportive and understanding, do not trivialize their fears, and be consistent in making them feel secure.

Allow quiet bedtime activities. If you have tried everything and your children are still not willing or able to sleep each night you may have to consider changing your definition of bedtime. Rather than requiring that your children sleep as soon as the lights go out allow your children to do small, quiet activities in their beds until they are ready to sleep. Quietly reading books is one relaxing activity that can help restless children drift into sleep on their own. Drawing pictures, listening to music, and doing small crafts such as knitting and hand sewing are all quiet activities that may help your child relax for bed. Set rules that whatever they choose it must be quiet and they must stay in bed, then allow your child time to fall asleep naturally. Doing this helps your child create his own bedtime routine that help him transition past the typical bedtime battles.

Though bedtime can be frustrating for both parents and children, using these simple steps to make bedtime calmer and more relaxing will help ease much of that frustration. When the bedtime battles have ended it will be a more restful time for everyone in the house.