Bedtime Tips
Read these 20 Bedtime Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Mom tips and hundreds of other topics.
Sametime/Bedtime/Everytime
Stick to your routine bedtimes, regardless of who is "in charge" at the time. This requires spousal and babysitter co-operation. Even if you are not at home, the kids will benefit from the same hours of sleep.
Teaching baby to sleep
Don't keep things quiet when baby is sleeping. Get her used to noise, and sleeping through it.
Calmer Kids = No Nightmares
Many children have nightmares because they've been riled up before going to sleep. Bedtime needs to include a "wind-down period." Ban tickling and other boisterous games at night--your objective is to establish a calm, relaxing bedtime routine.
Nightlights
If your child tends to play with a nightlight after you have left the room, install a dimmer switch on the main panel to use instead. This way, until he is tall enough to reach the switch (age 3+ ) you will know he is not playing close to the electrical outlet.
How can I get my toddler to stay in his own bed?
To get your toddler to stay in his own bed, always take him straight back there, but don't start unless you're committed to sorting out the problem. It's worth it in the end, but it's very tiring and there's no point getting up just a few times and then giving up.
Keeping Sleepers Zipped or Buttoned
If your toddler continuously unsnaps his or her sleeper down the front, consider putting it on backwards. It will fit almost the same. You may have to cut and hem the footsie part, but it saves lots of time and clean-ups!
Bedtime Fears of Abandonment
Does your child find a dozen or more excuses to keep you coming back into his room after lights out? My son recently developed an irrational fear of my leaving him -- to the point where he panicked if I wasn't within view. Needless to say, this made bedtime very difficult. So I put a photograph of myself on the table next to his bed and told him that with my picture watching over him, he would know I was always with him. That helped him feel more secure and now bedtime battles are a thing of the past.
Sleepovers
So. You've invited some of your child's friends over for a sleep over? You brave soul. I hope that they are either seasoned veterans of sleeping in a place other than their own beds or are at least 4 - 5 years old. To have to phone and ask their parents to come get them is too miserable all around. Make sure before the parents leave the first time that any security blankets, toys or books are with the child.
How can I get my toddler to stay in his own bed?
Buy an alarm clock and tell him that when it goes off, he can come into your bed.
Don't let the Bed Bugs Bite
Sleep is often disturbed if the child has experienced something remarkable during the day. This can be good or bad. Reassurance and an extra quiet minute at his/her side will help calm them enough to slip off to sleep.
Wrap tight or leave loose?
If your infant does not settle quickly, take a look at how you routinely tuck him/her in to bed. Some infants love to be "gift wrapped" or swaddled tightly; others love to move! Try the opposite and guage the effect>
Choosing the Right Sleepwear
Make sure your children's sleepwear is either flame-resistant or snug-fitting. Loose-fitting T-shirts and other loose-fitting clothing made of cotton or cottonblends should not be used for children's sleepwear as it can easily catch fire and cause the child to be burned.
Unsettling Temperatures
If your child won't settle at nighttime, peek and see if they have kicked off the blankets. Some kids love the warmth a mother's arms (and chest) provide, so try to reproduce the feeling without yourself in the equation.
Unsettled Infants
Unsettled baby? Use a carriage instead of a bassinet for infant "rooming in" at home. Babies like small spaces to feel secure.
Nightlights
Place plug-in nightlights somewhere in the child's line of site for maximum benefit.
Bedclothes
Dress your infant for bed the same as you do for extreme weather outdoors... appropriately. If the child's room is warm, don't overheat the child by putting on flannel p.j.s and then wrapping tightly in an arctic fleece blanket. Conversely, if the room is cold, an extra layer beyond a diaper and undergarment would be more suiting.
Dress for (bedtime) success
Babies should never be put to bed in a front (face down) lying position. Research has shown a higher rate of crib deaths due to this. If the baby does not settle quickly, check garments for pressure points, like sharp labels, rough snaps or an overlong tie. Trim or remove as necessary.
There's a monster under my bed!!
If a child seems afraid of monsters hiding somewhere in the room, remember that to him, THEY ARE REAL. Treat the situation respectfully and thoroughly search every place he seems afraid of. Leaving the door open a little wider and an extra light on may also help.
Sleep over rules
Let them stay up a little bit past their regular bedtime. The easiest way to ensure some effort towards this goal is to plan to start an age appropriate movie right after completion of their normal bedtime rituals. If possible, set a TV/VCR up in the same room where the children will sleep. If they happen to fall asleep prematurely, just leave them.
