How hard is it to get your kids into bed? Just one kid is hard to get tucked in and snoring (the never-ending process kind of reminds me of this adorable video). But two or three kids? Every night becomes a battle of the bedrooms!
And the worst part is, by that time of day, you’re exhausted too, so it’s easy to lose your temper and get stressed out before bed. Instead of fighting the battle night after night, we’ve figured out a few tricks that keep kids under the covers. Some of them actually make kids want to go to bed at night! You might not believe us, but these tricks really work. Try them out and say goodnight to the bedtime battles!
A Mesmerizing Night Light Night lights are a LOT different than they were back in the day. Now, night lights can make your kid’s room look like the milky way, a lava lamp, or a psychedelic light show. These night lights might seem like novelties to us, but to kids, they can be a great incentive to hop into bed. Plus, the “ignition of the night light” every night will help you develop a bedtime routine, which is essential in getting kids to sleep. Our favorite new night light is called Volta. It’s a stylish bulb that levitates in mid-air! Kids go absolutely nuts for this light. But at the same time, its soft glow practically hypnotizes them to sleep in minutes flat. Volta was developed using color temperature theory, which says that certain lighting intensities can influence our moods and make us feel warmer or colder. Volta’s color temperature level emits warmth, relaxation, and stress relief. It’s basically a lullaby in a bulb. Each night, you and your children can set the bulb in place and set it into its levitating state. I’ve never seen my kids want to run to bed faster. It’s especially fun to give it a little push and watch it spin in zero-gravity.
Once it’s levitating, it grabs little eyes and makes them heavy very quickly. To be honest, it makes me pretty tired too! Volta is completely safe for kids and parents. It levitates using the power of electromagnets, and it can be handled safely by anyone. It’s also reinforced and shatter-proof to protect little fingers. The bulb seems a bit pricey, but its LED light lasts around 20 years, so it’s a pretty good deal. Plus, you can take 50% off if you order Volta now.
No Screens Before Bed
This one is really hard. In the evening, it’s tempting to let the kids get lost on their tablets and phones while you take a moment of peace and quiet. But this moment of peace could be creating the storm of bedtime naughties that comes just after. And it’s not your child’s fault. Phones, computers, and tablets emit a type of light called blue light, which can mess with our circadian rhythms and sleep cycles. It can even contribute to eye damage. And children are more susceptible to all of this, as their eyes will not be fully developed until they are teenagers. Playing on screens right up to bedtime will suppress the body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin. It’s literally causing your child’s body to believe it’s still daytime. Without melatonin, your child will act as they do during the day—hyper. It’s recommended to stop using screens 2 hours before bedtime. If this isn’t doable in your home, try 30 minutes first and see if it makes a difference. Then, up it to one hour and keep going from there. In place of screens, encourage your kids to play games like board games or cards. It might make a big mess, but if your kids actually fall asleep on time, it will be worth it. Older kids can be encouraged to read. Reading is a wonderful habit to develop as a child, and it makes kids super sleepy!
Have a Sleepy Snack
Eating before bed as an adult is considered unhealthy. But it’s ok for kids, and it can even help them fall asleep faster. The key is to give them the right snack. Sweets and sugary drinks will make them even more hyper when bedtime comes. The wrong proteins can also give them a burst of energy.
Here are some sleepy snacks that will ease your kids into bed:
- Turkey cold cuts and whole wheat crackers: Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that makes us feel sleepy. Crackers contain carbs, which do the same!
- Warm milk and toast: Carbs and a warm drink will put anyone in a horizontal position.
- Bread with honey and banana: For the sweet tooth, natural honey adds a burst of flavor to this easy sandwich. Bananas contain potassium, which relaxes the muscles.
- Oatmeal: A big boost of melatonin with every bite.
- Cherries and strawberries: For fruit lovers, cherries and strawberries boost melatonin levels.
Tactical snacking before bed will have your kids feeling satisfied and sleepy. Remember to check the labels for any sneaky sugars.
Try a Children’s Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are a good sleep aid for most children’s sleep problems. They can make restless kids calm down, scared kids feel safer, and stressed kids relax. They’re also super comfy, which will make your child look forward to climbing into bed and snuggling. Weighted blankets do a lot more than just cover you up. They actually change your body chemistry to help you sleep better. These blankets use a technique called deep touch pressure (DTP) to put the body into a relaxed state. When you use a weighted blanket, your melatonin levels rise and your cortisol levels go down (cortisol is the stress hormone that prevents you from sleeping). Kids already love to snuggle, so why not give them something to snuggle with that puts them straight to sleep?
There’s are just a few things to remember when using a weighted blanket:
- Don’t use an adult weighted blanket: Only use a weighted blanket that is made specifically for children. Blankets for adults are too heavy and can be dangerous for children.
- Make sure you get the right weight: A weighted blanket will only do its magic if it is the right weight compared to the weight of your child. If your blanket is too light, it might not work.
- Don’t let your child take the blanket out of bed: Don’t let your child’s weighted blanket become their snuggle blanket on the sofa or anywhere else. If this happens, it will disrupt your bedtime routine and your child’s sleep cycle.
End the Bedtime Battles
It’s time to put an end to those bedtime battles and march the troops to dreamland without a hitch. It might seem impossible, but the tricks on this list really work. And, they work even better when you do a few of them at once. For example, we use a weighted blanket with the Volta night light, and it works like an absolute charm. Bedrooms are silent within 5 minutes! That’s what I call a sweet dream.
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