Bedtime Crisis
Eliminate the Production
Bedtime seems to drag on forever in our house some nights, but I’ve always been inspired by Paula Rollo of Beauty Through Imperfection’s advice on bedtime—she made it a priority to create a simple and fast bedtime routine for her kids. Story, sip and a kiss—and that’s it. With a fast routine, bedtime is quick and painless instead of a source of dread every night.
Line It Up
I probably look like a crazy person, but bath time is pure assembly-line style in my house so we can get the kids into bed in a timely manner. I prep ahead of time to make it go as smoothly as possible. I hang up individual towels, put out pajamas on the bed for each child, and even pre-paste their toothbrushes with toothpaste so it’s all ready to go.
Split Bedtime Duties
With four kids, ages 6 and under, in my house, bedtime doesn’t always flow so smoothly. But one thing that has really worked for us is simply splitting the kids up for bedtime duties. My husband will put the older kids down while I take the baby. After everyone is tucked in for the night, I can always sneak back in for a kiss.
Consider Melatonin
If your child appears to have severe sleep disturbances, you may want to consider discussing a sleep aide supplement, like melatonin, with your doctor. Megan Bishop noticed a huge difference when starting melatonin with her youngest son, Ryley. “He had issues calming his mind when it came to bedtime,” explains Bishop. “We could literally lay there with him for three hours just staring at the ceiling. Since starting melatonin, he is able to climb into bed and shut off his brain. It doesn’t knock him out, just allows himself to calm down and relax enough to fall asleep.”
Ban Electronics
It may be tempting to have the kids wind down with a quick TV show before bedtime, but too much screen time too close to bedtime can actually have the opposite effect and fire up their brains to stay awake.
The National Sleep Foundation cautions that the light emitted from electronic devices can actually signal the brain to produce a chemical reaction to induce alertness. Not good for lights-out time. Shut those devices off at least an hour before bedtime and encourage a bedtime story with a book instead.
Let Go of Guilt
In typical mom-guilt fashion, I’ve often felt guilty for my desperation to get the kids into bed on time at night. I feel like a military sergeant who’s sucking all the fun out of life. They just want to cuddle with their mom for a few extra minutes—what’s the harm in that? Except when that happens multiple times, every night, it starts to wear thin on my patience.
I finally gave myself permission to not feel guilty about saying “no” to my kids and enforcing a strict bedtime rule. Then I realized that making sure my kids sleep is parenting them. Sleep is so crucial for growth, development, health and keeping that immune system strong. We can save the cuddles for another time.
