Things You Can Use to Get Your Child to Fall Asleep in Their Own Bed

Convincing your child to fall asleep in their own bed can sometimes be an endless battle that leaves the parents tired, weary and ready to take the little tyke into their own bed. Before you adopt a mommy, daddy and child sleeping arrangement consider using these tips to help your child feel comfortable in their own room at bedtime.

Night lights are a Child's Best Friend
Children need security and adding a night light to a child's room helps cement that security. They find comfort in being able to see familiar things around them. A lot of children are afraid of the dark and the things they can and can't see. Their imaginations create scenarios of danger lurking in their room. The best way to confront this problem is not to try to show them there's nothing there because even if you manage to do it once they'll be calling you back to do it again and again. Instead of fighting the monster in the closet several times every night give your child a little bit of light. Light is the best monster deterrent on the market. Over time many children outgrow night lights but until they do shed a little light on the subject and get some sleep.

Music as a Distraction
My son has an overactive imagination. It took us a long time to be able to make him feel safe enough to sleep in his own room. One of the ways we achieved this was to set up a small stereo in his room. When we tucked him in at night we turned on music of his choice. This effectively works to distract children from the sounds they may hear outside as well as the sounds they imagine hearing in their room. If you use music cd's make sure they will continue to play throughout the night so your child wakes at 2 a.m. to creepy silence. The only thing to be aware of with this method is not to play music that inspires your little one to get up and do the hoochy coochy dance in the bed.

Aromatherapy Sound Machines
What's better to fall asleep to than the sound of waves gently lapping up against the beach? There are plenty of cheap sound machines out there to help your child fall asleep. Combining a sound machine with one that also radiates aromatherapy scents is a sure fire way to help your child have sweet dreams without ever leaving their bedroom.

My daughter listens to the sound of sprinkling rain falling on a river every night. The cross between the sound of the rain and the smell of lavender floating through her room is relaxing and before we know it she's fallen sound asleep.

Make Use of Audio Books
When you child starts getting beyond the age of bedtime stories but still finds it hard to fall asleep in their own bed give audio books a try. You'll be killing two birds with one stone with this trick. Your child will not only be well read but they are likely to doze off in mid-story and find themselves in the land of sweet dreams. The rise and fall of the reader's voice soothes and relaxes while creating a sleepy environment. It's kind of like falling asleep during a lecture.

Give Your Child the Correct Bed Size
Sometimes parents move their children from cribs to twin beds. This is not always the wisest choice. Younger children may find it hard to fall asleep in such a large bed when they are used to the security of a smaller bed. Instead of leaping into twin beds right away consider purchasing a toddler bed. Toddler beds are made to ease the transition from a crib to a regular bed. If your child is too big for a toddler bed and is sleeping on a twin bed, be sure there is plenty of room to move around. Children are known for rolling around all over the place when they sleep. If they are afraid they will fall out of the bed they may be too afraid to fall asleep in it.

Glow in the Dark Bedroom Accessories
When the nightlight bulb blows out and you don't have a replacement you better think of something fast. Here's your back up plan. Wal-Mart, K-Mart and other such stores carry solar powered glow in the dark room accessories. You can buy anything from stars and planets to lizards and dinosaurs. Use them to decorate your child's ceiling and walls. The natural light from your child's room will charge them up and at night time they glow. Kids love them and when they wake up in the middle of the night the soft glow helps them fall back to sleep.

Routines Are Important
Whatever method you use to get your child to fall asleep in their own is not going to work if you stop them from playing and send them to bed. Children, like adults, need time to wind down and relax. Before sending your child to bed set up a routine that becomes a nightly ritual. Twenty or thirty minutes should suffice for any routine you come up with. Your routine can consist of a bedtime story, a song or simply a snack. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate as long as it represents a winding down time. The goal is to teach your child to prepare for the inevitable in a calm and soothing way.

Having a child fall asleep in their own room isn't always a matter of conquering the clock and their energy. It's also about making them feel secure and safe. Give your child a reason to feel good in their own bed and chances are they'll stay there.