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Being a single mom can be rewarding, but at the same time, exhausting. This is especially true if your kids are too stubborn to sleep early every night. Instead of getting some shut-eye, you and your kids will end up staying up until the wee hours, which can adversely affect both of your schedule and productivity the next day. If you have been struggling to get your kids to sleep early, let this article help.
Gone are the days when kids would immediately sleep once their playtime is over. Even if it’s already late at night, they can still find ways and means to be busy. Having this kind of lifestyle can pose serious health risks to your kids in the long run. To avoid this from happening, here are some ways to get your kids to sleep early:
Invest In A Good-Quality Mattress
It’ll be easy for your kids to fall asleep if they are already comfortable in their bed. The cozier their bed is, the easier it’ll be for them to drowse off. You can start by investing in a good-quality mattress. You can do this by scouting for several options and reading product reviews such as those from Sleepjunkie.org. Make sure that you end up buying a mattress that has the softness that your kids want. After buying the best mattress, look for comfy linens, pillows, and blankets, as well.
Always Keep The Room Cool
It’s no secret that that sleeping patterns are affected by temperature. Whenever your kids fall asleep, their body temperature gradually drops. The colder the temperature is, the easier it’ll be for kids to sleep and remain asleep. To expedite this process, keep your kids’ room cold. If you have an air conditioning unit, turn it on minutes before sleeping time. This way, the room will already be cold once they come in and decide to sleep.
If your home isn’t equipped with an AC unit, you can opt to have a fan inside their room or let cold air in through the windows if the temperature outside isn’t too frigid.
Read A Bedtime Story
Reading a bedtime story is probably one of the oldest yet most effective ways of getting your kids to sleep early. If you’re curious why, it’s simple: bedtime stories are something that your kids can look forward to hearing every night, and they know that they can only listen to the story or its continuation when it’s about time to sleep. Whenever you read a bedtime story to your kids, their imagination also becomes active. This can become an effective avenue for you to bond and spend time with your kids. Reading the story in a calm and soothing voice works in a similar way as lullabies do, which helps your child eventually fall asleep. Make sure that you’re reading a story that’s also suitable to your kids’ interests and age.
Maintain A Consistent Bedtime Routine
Getting at least eight hours of sleep every night isn’t only crucial for your kids’ development; it’s also important for their productivity as a student. When they’re deprived of sleep, it’ll be hard for them to focus in school and maintain mental alertness. If you don’t want any of these to happen, maintain a consistent bedtime routine. You can implement a normal process of eating dinner, taking a bath, and brushing their teeth so they will be in their beds the same time every night.
Aside from maintaining a routine, you should also introduce cues so that they can form a consistent habit and be physically and mentally prepared for bedtime.
Tire Them Out
Kids can be really energetic. Instead of sleeping in the evening, they would usually play with their toys for hours. Not only is this unhealthy to their sleeping routine but to their general health as well. One of the easiest ways to get your kids to sleep early is to tire them out minutes before their bedtime.
Depending on their interests, you can prepare fun activities, such as painting or drawing, or come up with your own dance moves and invite your kids to join in. The crazier the activity is, the better. You’ll be surprised how fast they’ll doze off after these activities!
Consider Variety
A single strategy can have different effects on kids. One strategy might work wonders for some but not for others. For you to find the best strategy in getting your kids to sleep early, be patient and try out different things. This will give you an opportunity to assess which strategies actually work (and don’t work) for your kids.