Bedtime Routine

Sleep is as essential as food for a healthy body and mind so starting your baby or young child on a bedtime routine is a good idea.

Clues to Success

Whatever your child’s age you must establish the rules and be consistent each and every night. If there is a scrabble each night before bedtime your child will never really know what she can and can not do. You will both be tired and frustrated, a good combination for irritability and, yes – anger.

Don’t compare your child to the perfect sibling who has slept every night since she was born. Each child is different. You are different and your circumstances are different. Do use the perfect sibling as an example of good practice occasionally.

Try making a picture story book using photographs of your family. You could make the story about a happy time that you spent together, bringing up memories in your child’s mind. Gradually direct the story through to tea time, a calming half an hour after tea maybe reading a book together; going to the bathroom to prepare for the night-time routine. Let the children in the story take the book to bed and finish reading it with mum or dad or big brother in the quiet of the bedroom. As the story child begins to get sleep draw the story to a close. Bring in ideas like the child wanting to read more books and the parent being firm and saying “No, it is time to go to sleep now. Tomorrow we will read some more books and you can choose the first one.”

The seeds that you are planting in your child’s head will grow and hopefully she will start to mimic the child in the story. Of course you don’t have to read a story you can make one up. The most important point to remember is to be consistent and get that routine going.

Reward your child with gentle praise for every small piece of behaviour that fits with what you expect.