Both of my daughters take after their mother – they struggle to fall asleep. Once they are asleep, they sleep fine, but actually nodding off is quite the struggle in our house. Over the years I’ve picked up some tips and tricks. Not all of these have worked for my children but they have worked for others. I’ll also share with you exactly what gets us to sleep in our house now, finally after all these years! Here are some tips to help get your kids to sleep
1. Sleep Routine
This piece of advice I heard over and over again – establish a proper sleep routine. In our house, this involves settling down for bedtime about an hour before planned sleep. The first thing to do is for the kids to brush their teeth. They then put on their pyjamas and read a book in bed. When the kids were younger, I would read to them for half an hour or so and then tuck them in. Having set times did sometimes help and it actually really helped us as a family to stay organised.
2. Bath Before Bed
I find this one really helpful – to enjoy a nice warm bath before bed. In the summer, I always have a cold shower before getting into bed which helps me to keep cool during the summer nights.
3. Set a Regular Sleep Schedule
The more I googled for tips on how to get kids to sleep, the more I learned about sleep patterns and schedules. Making sure my kids had enough sleep or not too much was really helpful. We found ourselves lying in at the weekends too often which would then impact Sunday and even Monday’s sleep. A consistent sleep and wake-up time, even on weekends, helps regulate a child’s internal clock. Irregular sleep schedules can lead to difficulty falling asleep and waking up at the right times. Ensure your child gets the recommended amount of sleep based on their age:
Teenagers (13-18 years): 8-10 hours
Infants (4-12 months): 12-16 hours (including naps)
Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours (including naps)
Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10-13 hours
School-age children (6-12 years): 9-12 hours
4. Reduce Screen Time Before Bed
I personally found this one difficult to deal with. My kids seem to be on their iPads a lot as all their homework is digital. The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and televisions can interfere with melatonin production, the hormone that regulates sleep. It’s recommended to use a night mode setting on devices if they must be used before bed. Another good rule is to turn off screens at least one hour before bedtime. Encourage screen-free activities, especially in the hours leading up to bedtime, like reading, puzzles, or quiet play.
5. Reading Before Bed
My grandparents swore by reading prior to bedtime as the formula for a good night’s sleep. One of my daughters reads until she sleeps and she has found this is the only way she can nod off. If your children are reading before bedtime, ensure they are using a dim lit light rather than a ceiling light. We have a table lamp with a dimmer bulb so it can create the right ambience and encourage sleep.
6. Encourage Relaxation Techniques
Helping your kids relax before bedtime can make falling asleep easier. Try these techniques:
- Deep Breathing – Teach children simple breathing exercises (e.g., inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four).
- Gentle Yoga or Stretching – Light stretching can help ease muscle tension.
- Guided Imagery – Encourage children to imagine a peaceful place, like a beach or a garden.
- Calming Scents – Lavender and chamomile have natural relaxing properties; consider using a lightly scented pillow spray or diffuser.
7. Exercise
Sometimes kids, just like us, aren’t tired if they haven’t had enough physical activity throughout the day. Ensure your kids are getting enough exercise, and if they’re not, before your bedroom routine, give them some exercise to do. This could be dancing along to a Youtube dance workout or going for a light jog. For indoor activities like dance, Safersox ballet socks are a great choice, comfortable, non-slip, and perfect for keeping little feet safe while they move around.
8. Fresh Air
Fresh air is great medicine. Ensure your kids are getting enough fresh air throughout the day. You can combine fresh air and exercise and take them for a run or a play in the park in the early evening. If you have a dog, get them to take the dog on a walk. Making exercise and the great outdoors part of your routine will be great for family life!
9. White Noise
Although we have used all the above techniques and they have helped to establish a better nighttime routine, the only thing that will actually get one of my kids to sleep is white noise. If I’m drying my hair, she will nod off instantly. That was a remarkable discovery! If I don’t feel like sitting there with the hair dryer on, I put on YouTube videos with hairdryer sounds. There are plenty of these on YouTube and although it means leaving the TV on, these videos often have a dark screen.
The are lots of different forms of white noise, they could take the form of the sounds of raindrops or the sounds of the ocean. Sometimes you just need to play around with different noises an see which one is right for your kids.
10. Eye Mask
My pre-teen always wears an eye mask to help her nod off. She’s a little bit older and no longer afraid of the dark so it’s perfect for her. She has been using a combination of the eye mask and white noise for the past 3 or 4 years and we have noticed a drastic difference in her ability to get to sleep. Her eye mask is of rather thin material and is comfortable for her. I was worried about it ending up around her neck in the night! But fortunately, the band is very thin and it’s usually still on her eyes in the morning or on top of her head. This is obviously not suitable for younger children but is a great idea of older kids to try.
Featured Image by Daniela Dimitrova from Pixabay
