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Top parenting stories this week
How to Get Your Child to Sleep at Bedtime
10 ways to establish a nightly routine and avoid fights at bedtime
by: Jennifer Kolari
In This Article
Bedtime Routines
- If you wait for kids to appear tired, you’ve missed their sleep window.
- Slow things down right after dinner, before bedtime, by lowering your voice, turning down lights, etc.
- Put the youngest children to bed first to cut down on the chaos.
- Establish regular bedtime routines so children recognize when it is time for sleep.
- Grant your child “three wishes” to eliminate stalling at bedtime.
edtime can be the most challenging time of the day for a couple of reasons. First, kids don't get tired, they get wired, which means they are more likely to be wild, aggressive, teary, cranky or just plain silly when it’s time to settle down and go to sleep.
It’s also a time when we’re totally exhausted as parents. Our patience is low and we are often just looking forward to a little down time (if we're lucky)–and we see it ticking away. It’s the hardest time to stay neutral, but getting exasperated and angry just escalates things. Here are 10 tricks to make bedtimes go better:
1. Catch the sleep window
Getting kids to bed too late can make bedtimes a nightmare. Starting early means catching that optimum sleep window where kids settle faster and fall asleep sooner. (If you wait for kids to appear tired, you’ve missed the window!)
