Here's a fact you already know, you can't just get your kids to sleep even an hour earlier. Aha, even as you struggle to keep the hell up. Takes some convincing, some of which you can nip freely from this list of 5 ways to get your kids to sleep earlier.
It’s a worthy cause, too.
Sarah E. Anderson, PhD and others on their study titled “Bedtime in Preschool-Aged Children and Risk for Adolescent Obesity” unearthed a stunning discovery. Data from 977 of 1364 participants shown that about 23% of kids who sleep after 9 pm and 16% of those that hit the matt after 8 pm become obese by the time they clock 15.
- Help them ease into an early, regular sleep time
Ease your child into a sleep schedule. The trick is to help your kids adjust to a consistent sleep time.
You’ll be head and foot involved, too.
They need to eat, clean and prepare for bed early, so you’ll need to play your part there like preparing food at least an hour earlier. If you have school-going kids, you’ll need to help them with homework as early as possible too.
If you have let them play till later in the evening when school was closed, help them to start easing into the coming school schedule at least a week before back-to-school. It helps their body to adapt and take up the new without much resistance and hassle.
- Help them come up with and stick to a bedtime routine
The difference between tip number one and this is that now the activities you two engage in helping your child to prepare for sleep.
It could be taking a warm shower, brushing their teeth, wearing the pj's, and reading a bedtime story. Setting a bedtime routine and sticking to it helps your child's body to know it is time to wind down for a time in the sheets.
You’ll do best to help them shift their bedtime routine by 15-30 minute shifts every day before settling to that new bedtime.
- Facilitate a conducive sleeping environment
Team up with them to flush clutter from their rooms, ensure their bedroom is tidy and organized, as well as ensure you reduce noises in and around their bedroom.
Remember to turn the lights dim about 10-20 minutes say, while you read the bedtime story and completely off or very dimly after that. Light and noise kill sleep.
According to the Sleep Holic, to help your kids wake up without stiff aches and cricks, give them the best platform to recover on by ensuring that they have a decent mattress to provide appropriate musculoskeletal support.
- Establish some rules around the rules
If they still won’t get along fine, it might be time to establish some rules in the home.
For example, it is time to switch off all electronics and dim the lights. You’ll want to keep invigorating play items and toys in a separate room. Or, for bigger kids with cell phones, get them to keep off the texting and browsing around 30 minutes to sleep. The blue light is bad for early sleep.
- Help them love to sleep early
Just like you helped them learn an apple a day keeps the doctor away, you can help them learn that a good night’s rest a day will make them happier, grow taller and burst with energy for play the whole way.
You can literally save your child’s life by helping them sleep earlier. Getting your kids to sleep earlier will first and foremost demand you make it as painless and start as soon as you can.
About the Author: Zach Davis is a health freak and loves to write articles helping people find the best balance between work and sleep. He pens health information on various sites and is the lead editor of Sleep Holic, a website that provides honest information on different mattress brands and sleep products.
