Bedtime routines and rituals are very important for most children in establishing positive sleep patterns and in developing a sense of security and stability. Your child will benefit from a set bedtime. Pick a time for bed that is reasonable for your child and which you can consistently provide. Establish a bedtime routine that can provide predictability and a comforting, familiar pattern. Even an understandable and structured visual pattern can assist this process and can provide reminders and consistency for the whole family.
A good bedtime routine will help teach a child to calm down, relax and get ready to sleep. However, not every technique works for every child. For example, if bathing is stimulating or frightening for your child, it’s probably a better idea to do it at another time of day rather than right before you want your child to calm down and go to sleep. Incorporate activities that you know have a calming effect on your child into their bedtime preparatory routine. Keep the routine short and sweet. It should realistically only consist of four to six steps that can be completed in a reasonable time frame, not drawn out into hours on end each night. Reading a favorite book each night, brushing teeth, having a glass of water, and saying a goodnight prayer can all be calming, soothing activities for a young child to perform each night routinely. Hugging and kissing family members is usually also an integral part of the process, of course! Once a bedtime routine has been establish be sure to let your childcare provider know about your child sleeping routine during the day, so it does not disrupt her routine in the night. It is very important for children to have a good sleep in the night. There are those nights or times when circumstances prevent your child from getting to bed at their usual time. Be sure not to shortchange the process when this happens, but keep in mind that each step can be shortened significantly in order to prevent long frustrations at a time when everyone is tired. You can contact Ruthy with questions
2 Comments
Maddie
10/18/2015 12:40:57 am
Love it! Sleep is another important part of childhood and having a solid bedtime routine is great and the best way to ensure they get adequate sleep.
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Rachel
10/18/2015 12:44:12 am
This is a wonderful post and you delivered the importance of it beautifully! Sleep is important for anyone, but children in particular need a good routine before bedtime and to sleep for 8 hours or whatever suits them the best.
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Welcome to Ruthy's Blog.My name is Ruthy. This page is just for my regular round ups, thoughts, tips and chit-chat. Some related to family and others are not. Don't expect long story. Just thoughts. Archives
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