I love sleeping.That’s why pregnancy and the first month after Rai was born was difficult.
But then something happened.My hubby who knew how cranky and impossible I am without sleep suggested I try sleeping when the baby sleeps.Infants can sleep up to 18 hours per day.That’s not possible for you right?You can still catch extra snooze time with them. You can’t keep infants awake and they have their own sleep cycle till it gets adjusted at around one (in most cases).
When Rai was a baby I slept round the clock with her.My mom and my hubby were both a big help.My work was to feed the baby, feed myself, quick daily care and go back to sleep.That’s the reason I was able to start getting back my energy levels pretty well within a year.Otherwise, I would have burnt out.Our sleeping story I will share, but today my 10 Ways you can sleepwalk to your kid’s bedtime
1)Have a set bedtime.Give or take a few minutes.Fixed time and routine help children learn the value of good sleep.It’s also easier for them when they grow up as after they cross five it becomes difficult to change habits and mindset.No amount of screaming helps.In fact, it does just the opposite.
2)Give him/her dinner by 8 pm at the latest(this is best if you want her to digest food properly before bedtime.One big reason for childhood obesity and reflux in children is late and heavy dinners.
30 minutes before bedtime if she likes milk, give her that.Don’t forget to make her sit or play a quiet game till it’s bedtime.This helps in preventing reflux and tummy discomfort.
3) Make a dreamy bedroom atmosphere.This means lights dimmed from an hour to two hours before.No shouting screaming or rowdy games.Play a few quiet games or color together.This helps calm the mind.
4)My daughter’s school has started meditation classes recently and we have a fun time Chanting Om and seeing who can do it for the longest.Make it fun then a habit is easy for children.
5)Cool sheets, pastel colors, her favorite pillows will all make going to bed another pleasant activity.
6)The time leading up to the bedtime is filled with bedtime stories.Preethi’s book The Teddy who ran away is perfect.I read it to Rai the day before yesterday.She dropped off to sleep within a few minutes of the story ending.It’s the perfect length with the right lessons for bedtime story time.
7) Bed time cuddles and kisses we look forward to as a family.My daughter loves cuddling and kissing.She insists on cuddle breaks every few hours when we are playing together.
8)Don’t discuss your plans.Those that will happen after she sleeps.Children don’t want to miss out and if they think parents have a party after they go to bed.It’s impossible to make them sleep then.
9)Get ready for bed yourself even if you sleep a few hours later.It’s important to make them get into the mood.When Rai was young I used to rock her to sleep.Now I pat her lightly and sometimes even that’s not needed.I nod off with her even if it’s for a few seconds.This helps.Melatonin the sleep inducing hormone is volatile and if you are close to each other your melatonin can help her fall asleep.Put your heads together and snuggle.This is not just cute but is a fun way of calming your baby down.
Super tip: Mommy should be calm and sleepy too or be good at pretending.If you can’t breathe slowly and calmly this will backfire.
10)Praying together is important and saying thank you.Thankfulness should be an early habit.The more you live with gratitude in your heart more reasons you have to say thank you to God.
Bonus Tip: As the child grows older and she may not need afternoon naps for more than 20 minutes.That way she will have no problem with early bedtime.Share your top tips for putting your child to sleep in the comments below.
Writing this for #MondayMommyMoments.
Today’s Prompt:
How do you put our kids to bed?
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Setting a routine is really important, though with infants its difficult but can be done once the child turns one. We have visiting washroom, washing off feet and hands with warm warm, story from daddy and mumma singing a rhyme or a prayer (though not a good voice)
True routine after one !Before that you do what they want!
Rai & Kavya are sisters for this one m sure – she prefers milk 30 mins before bed too. Keeping schedule helps in directing a routine. Loved the post… i miss my sound sleep too much…
Oh yes definitely. We are sisters too right?
Absolutely ????????
I am pretty thankful to God in this matter. Bluey is a good sleeper right from the first month. From day 30 he used to sleep through the night and dream feed sometimes. Now we have a routine – milk, mommy reads or sings and he drifts away into dreamland
Great tips! They seem simple yet can be so hard to enforce. I shared this with all my Mommy friends, thanks!
Being thankful does make one less restless about the things going on around them and able to relax and sleep better for sure. Tying the end of your night to prayer definitely does help.
Amazing tips you share, and look they works for you, maintaining a sleep time for kids is not an easy task. You’ve done it so well get to learn a lot from this article
Thanks Bushra
I now remember making the room dull and making that ambience for sleep!
I like the idea of praying together – will surly add this!:)
setting the environment of tHe room is a good idea!! Not a few hours ago, but yes, just before we are about to sleep, we stop hyper-play games and totally dim the light. It actually works s a cue that its time to sleep.
Those are some great tips!! I also just read that an early dinner will make them go to bed easterly.
Thank you Stefanie
Great tips for moms on how to make their kids sleep. I agree nap time should be reduced once they grow up as it can affect night’s sleep.
Great points. I’d love for the parents at the school I work at to be able to learn better bedtime practices. My students don’t have set bedtimes and technology is killing them.
Great tips about sleeping! Its nice to have extra help as well. My mother helped me a lot when I was on maternity leave and my husband helped with some night shifts so it really made a difference in my energy level as well!
A set bedtime always helped my kids! We’d eat by 5 and they’d be in bed by 8. Even now when they are older they are in bed by 8. Granted, they don’t always sleep then, but I insist they be in their rooms so I can have time with my husband.
I do read bedtime stories often but I just loved Ur idea of chanting OM, this inculcates spiritual habit in all the family members, and yes the saying is perfect that the family who prays together stays together.
These are all good bedtime routine or ways to get your child to sleep tips and suggestions. I’m glad you had so much help when your child was born. Sleep is completely necessary to recuperate!!
Such cute tips, definitely ideal for anyone struggling getting their little ones down – always loved having my Dad read to us before bed when I was little
Good help. I completely agree with you that we need to keep the bedroom ambiance to suit sleep time. Though I was meticulous with most of the bed time routine, with increase in study load its not going as it should.
These are some great tips for Mom’s. Infact i follow quiet a few of them too, and they work towards getting me to sleep well and wake up refreshed.
Thanks Mayuri
Such a helpful article, Amrita. I have to follow this. I have forgotten what proper sleep is truly like after becoming a mother.
Thank you so much for mentioning my book ‘The Teddy who ran away.’
Thank you Preethi