Here at Happy Beds, we know how difficult it can be to encourage your little bundles of energy to get into their bed at the end of a busy day and rest their tired eyes. Every evening can become a constant battle to get children to willingly go to their bedrooms for a night of dreams and deep sleep.
We believe it doesn't have to be this way – bedtime doesn't have to be dreaded, and there are ways we can make children more excited to bury their heads in their pillows as parents get a well-deserved moment to relax and unwind. Who said bedtime had to be boring?
Here are a few of our top tips for how to get kids to sleep at bedtime:
Incorporate a successful routine
It's common knowledge that children need a healthy amount of sleep; however, the power of a good night's sleep can sometimes be underestimated. Dr Alan Green, writing for the blog Parents, informs us of how a good sleep routine can positively impact a child's growth by preventing infections and improving healing abilities – making sleep vital to the wellbeing of your child.
He states that younger children below nine need around eleven hours of sleep for a healthy pattern. This decreases to ten hours around the age of ten, with sleeping habits taking a later routine when puberty strikes. Routines are part of everyday life, and we all follow our ways of life one way or another. Children's lives depend on routine and consistency for growth and learning development.
How can you build a healthy routine for your child?
Bedtime needs some structure or routine of events for a child's sleep pattern to succeed. To achieve this, parents can adopt many popular habits to encourage a smooth bedtime process. This usually includes a routine of getting in pyjamas, brushing teeth and reading bedtime stories. Establishing these habits lets the children know when bedtime is near and that these key preparation actions are working towards a state of relaxation and sleep.
Creating a relaxing ambience of 'winding down' before bedtime is essential. If you slowly introduce the idea of settling down into bed, your child will be more willing to go to bed and will inevitably gain a better night's sleep instead of springing the idea of bedtime suddenly after excitable playing. The Very Well Family Blog make some constructive points about what makes a successful bedtime routine, including tips on how to make your routine more age-appropriate and ways of introducing choice in a child's bedtime.
If your child resists and fights bedtime, identify what might be causing this. You can introduce relaxing but enjoyable activities into their routine, designed to bring your child towards a state of relaxation - like a good children's book or a calm reflection of their day.
Create the perfect bedroom for a child to unwind
Pre-school-aged children are in a vital development stage and gain a strong sense of ownership and a desire for privacy during this time. A cosy space filled with personal touches and decorations is the key to your child's warm and welcoming bedroom. An ambient bedroom environment will encourage your child to want to spend time there, making bedtime more enticing.
Although relaxing, children's bedrooms should never be boring! Filling their walls with their favourite characters or incorporating an exciting bedroom theme will give them the perfect environment to be themselves and unwind after a busy and exciting day. Getting your child involved in the decorating process will help to bring their ideas alive and aid in building the bedroom of their dreams – not only helping to create the perfect bedroom for them but also building their creative skills and making time for that all-important parental bonding.
If you're looking for inspiration, check out our blog on designing the perfect bedroom for your toddler.
Choose the right kids bed for your child
When growing up, children go through vital transitions from cot-sleeping to their very first toddler bed. It's an inevitable process; choosing the right bed your child is willing to sleep in can sometimes make the transition even harder. We loved reading about The Ordinary Lovely's personal experience of introducing her beloved son into the world of independent sleeping in his first exciting toddler bed!
Your child is less likely to want to climb into a boring bed at the end of the day, which is why many exciting themed beds are available. Maybe they're obsessed with racing cars or want the fun of a slide bed added to their bedroom. Or are they enamoured with the world of Disney? Check out our range of Disney Home products, including Spider-Man kids beds, Mickey Mouse bedside tables and much more! When their bedroom looks this fun, you'll struggle to get them out!
We want to make your child's move from cot to toddler bed and beyond as comfortable as possible, offering countless styles and themes tailored to your child's tastes. And if you're worried about the process, then make sure to check out our blog that discusses whether your child is ready for a toddler bed.
