If you have kids then you will know how important it is for you to get them to go to sleep at night. This is especially the case when you have to stick to a routine yourself, but at times you may feel as though all of this is impossible. If you want to get some hints and tips with that then take a look below to find out more.
Avoid Big Meals at Bedtime
You need to try and avoid feeding your child large meals at bedtime. You also need to do everything you can to try and avoid caffeine as well. A lot of people think that a coffee in the afternoon is a good thing and this might be the case if you have a high tolerance, but for younger kids this may not be the case. You have to avoid giving them caffeine six hours before bedtime and you also need to try and avoid giving them pop or fizzy drinks as well. After all, these can contain a lot of caffeine and if you are not careful then this can have a serious impact on their nighttime routine.
Avoid any Stimulating Activities
After dinner, you have to try and avoid any stimulating activities. This could include any exciting board games and it can also include any video games as well. If you are not careful then all of this can easily affect them and this is the last thing that you need. You also need to try and avoid screen time as much as possible as well, as the bright colours and noises really can keep them awake at night. Check out this guide on the importance of a bedtime routine if you want to find out more about that.
Establish a Consistent Routine
It’s super important that you are able to establish a good bedtime routine as well. This needs to last for around half an hour before your child goes to bed. Of course, it is a good idea for you to try and read a book rather than watching television and it is also a good idea for you to give them a bath or even a long soak half an hour beforehand as well. This will help to calm them down and it will also help you to relax any excess energy that they have. If you do start a routine, you need to make sure that you carry on with it, even at the weekend because if you don’t then this will make those long Sunday nights even more hard work.
Make Sure that Your Child is Comfortable
A lot of kids find it hard to sleep when they are not comfortable and this is completely understandable. For this reason, you need to try and do everything you can to make sure that they are at ease and that they have enough pillows. A lumpy mattress won’t be doing you any favors either, so try and make sure that you are able to put them to bed in a way that they are comfortable and if you are not able to do this then try and invest in things that will make your life easier and also theirs.
Have a Guardian to Stop Monsters
Your child may have fears and this is completely understandable, but it helps to give your child a monster-fighting kit so that they can really get the support that they need at night. You need to try and give them a flashlight and you also need to give them some kind of spray bottle as well. You could even label this as being monster spray as this will really help your child to unwind and it can even help to alleviate some of their fears as well. You can even give them a guardian because when you do this they can protect your child when you are not around and this can make all the difference to them and even the way that they feel when they go to bed as well.
Of course, there are so many things that you can do to try and help your child at night and when you put the work in, you can really help them to get in a good routine as well. If you want to find out more then there are so many online resources available for you to choose from and they can all be really helpful if you are still struggling or even if you are a new parent.