Why am I writing about bedtime tips you might ask? You’d think that running around in the sunshine and experiencing playgrounds would be enough to secure a child ready to go to bed. But, as I’m sure you know, that is very often not the case. The busier the day, the more hyper our kids seem to be at the end of the night! We’ve struggled with the whining, the bouncing around, the reappearing child on the stairs…something had to change. By implementing these 3 tips, we’ve seen easier bedtimes and more successful nights of sleep for our entire family!
When making changes to your child’s routine, consult with your doctor as you feel necessary. The tips below have been very helpful for our daughters, ages 4-12, however, they may not be a perfect fit for everyone.
We all know that sugar before bed can affect the successfulness of bedtime. We’ve also heard to stay away from sugary drinks. But, have you considered the sugar content of seemingly healthy drinks? I was absolutely blown away to learn that the milk we had been drinking each night with dinner, 2% milkfat, contained 12g of sugar in 1 cup! And what about a cup of apple juice? Depends on the brand, but this website shows 100% apple juice had 28 grams of sugar, equivalent to 7 teaspoons of sugar! That is a lot of sugar to have at a time of night where you’re trying to calm down!
To be clear, I am by no means saying your child can’t have milk or fruit juice during the day. What I am asking you to think about though, is are they drinking it too close to bedtime OR having too much? We found that by switching to water for dinner and beyond helped immensely to reduce the wild behavior when bedtime rolls around. Give this bedtime tip a try, fill those glasses with water and see what happens!
As I’m sure you’ve noticed from the rest of Slides & Sunshine, we are an active family. We spend our days traveling around to the best parks and playgrounds across Colorado, sometimes visiting up to 5 in a day! Needless to say, I always expect the girls to be more worn out when it comes to bedtime. But…have you found that when your child has a crazy busy day, they’re even more wound up come bedtime? It amazes me how often this is the case!
What made an instant difference? Weighted blankets! Maybe you’ve heard about them for anxiety, autism or sleeping disorders, but our experience has shown that they are for everyone. The weight surrounds your child like a warm hug, producing a calming and relaxing effect, easing them to sleep.
This is not a paid advertisement, this is one of our bedtime tips we tell all of our friends. There are many different kinds out there, however, these are two that fit our needs Hazli and Creature Comforts. When checking out other brands, our key requirements were that they be washable and with evenly distributed weight. Fun colors also help 😉 These weighted blankets are a staple in our house and we even take them along to make hotel stays or sleepovers even easier!
According to an article on Parent.com, “Getting your kid to bed early has more benefits than just a few hours of quiet time at night. New research explains how vitamin ZZZ may help children fight obesity, avoid colds, and succeed in school. ” Our last tip to help with this is to establish a consistent routine.
This will mean something different for everyone and depends on their ages and other needs. For our girls, they know that when it is bedtime (strive for the same time each night), they will put on pajamas, brush their teeth, wash their faces and then get into bed for stories and prayers. Do we spend a lot of time going through this? No. Obviously our 5 year old will need a little more help than our older girls, but typically, they go through everything on their own and we meet in one room to say good night.
We hope that you find these bedtime tips to be helpful and your family enjoys many restful nights ahead! Which of these tips will make the most difference in your household? Do you have another tip to share that has worked for you? Comment below! We’d love to hear from you.
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