Tuck your little one in at an early hour.
Any parent knows just how difficult it can be to encourage small children to go to bed early. Cranky children may want to stay up late to watch television, may want to play around with favorite toys or most frustratingly, just may not be sleepy at all. If you want to establish an earlier regular bedtime to encourage your children to develop healthy sleeping habits, all you need is a little bit of patience and organization.
Instructions
1. Change your childrens' bedtime gradually. An abrupt and sudden change in bedtime can be a shock to children. It also can pose a problem with falling asleep easily. Start out by putting your children in bed 15 minutes earlier the first night, and continue doing so every night until you reach the desired bedtime.
2. Wake your children up at an earlier hour. If you want your children to get drowsy earlier in the evening, try to wake them up about an hour earlier in the morning. The technique may be effective if you want to encounter the least resistance at the new, earlier bedtime.
3. Provide structure. If you approach early bedtime in a carefree and loose way, you may risk your children not taking it very seriously. Maintain a firm and dependable stance on the early bedtime, and avoid wavering on it. If you permit a late bedtime one evening, it will only confuse your children if you try to enforce an earlier time the next night.
4. Encourage daytime physical activity. To get your childrens' minds and bodies tired earlier, get them to engage in physical exercise during the day. Some suggestions are walks outdoors, cycling, hiking and dancing. Apart from encouraging sleepiness at an early hour, these activities can also help to decrease stressful feelings in children.
5. Eliminate stimulants. One trick for getting your children in bed early is to take away things that may be exciting to them. Turn your television off about half an hour before the new bedtime, even if they are used to watching at that hour. Flick off the lights in the hallway. Avoid allowing your children to eat candy at any point close to bedtime, as the sugar rush could promote energetic and restless behavior.
6. Establish a bedtime tradition. To get your children in the mood to fall asleep early (even when they may not necessarily be tired yet), decide on a calming activity to do right before bed. Some ideas include singing lullabies, listening to soft music, reading a short story and running a warm bubble bath.
7. Create a relaxing haven for your children. If you want your children to get sleepy at an early hour, go out of your way to provide comfort. Fill your childrens' beds with soothing stuffed animals. Give them some warm milk to sip. Children also often sleep soundly with consistent noise, so consider turning on a light fan for a little background. The extra comforts will help them fall asleep, even if it is an earlier time than usual.
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