When it's time for kids to go to sleep, it's amazing
how creative they can become in trying to find ways
to stay awake and out of their room. Now that the
beginning of the school year is right around the
corner, it's always a challenge to push back the
bedtime that has steadily crept up later and later
during summer break. It may be difficult at first to
get kids back on schedule, but with some creative
strategies and a firm resolve, kids will be going to
bed without hassle by the time school begins.
Try a white noise machine:
This is a truly amazing invention! Most kids want to
stay awake at night because they don't want to miss
out on what is going on in the house. Even when
they're in their rooms trying to relax, they can
still hear the television and conversations in other
parts of the house. A white noise machine eliminates
this problem by actually absorbing or masking
household sounds.
Though the sound emitted by a white noise machine is
similar to a fan, it's actually made up of every
sound audible to the human ear. Thus, one individual
sound or voice is "absorbed" by the white noise
machine sound just as one voice in crowd is
indistinguishable. In addition to absorbing the
sound, the fan-like noise generated by the white
noise machine is very comforting and relaxing.
Lots and lots of exercise:
As every parent understands all too well, kids have
an abundance of energy. If they don't expend that
energy during the day, they are likely to have
trouble falling asleep at night. Even if kids are
exhausted in the morning from not getting enough
sleep the night before, they can still be wound up
by bedtime if they haven't gotten any exercise that
day.
It's not the best idea to do lots of exercise right
before bed because it will have the opposite effect.
However, aerobic exercise like swimming or racket
ball 4-5 hours before bed can have them ready to hit
the pillow by the time bedtime arrives. Consider
getting your kids involved in a local gym or youth
center that has access to fun aerobic activities.
Not only will they be more alert during school hours
from more restful sleep, they'll be getting fit at
the same time.
A nightly warm lavender bath:
Hot baths don't just seem relaxing; they really do
have a physiological effect on the body. The warm
water slows the heart rate and relaxes the muscles,
which is why you feel so relaxed and sleepy in a
warm bath. Adding natural lavender scent to a bath
increases that feeling of relaxation, calms nervous
tension, and promotes sound sleep.
The number one way to eliminate the bedtime battle
is to establish a ritual and stick with it no matter
what. Even though they may object at first, having a
ritual is comforting to both kids and adults. So
whether you choose to use a white noise machine, to
establish an exercise habit, to draw a warm fragrant
bath, or all of the above, make a commitment to
stick to your plan and you'll be surprised at how
quickly things can turn around!
About the Author
Author is a writer for Sleep Well Baby which specializes in white noise machines and natural sound machines. For additional information you can visit http://www.SleepWellBaby.com.