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Getting the kids to go to sleep and stay asleep can be a massive chore, while it sounds simple, any parent will tell you otherwise, whether it’s a sudden burst of childish energy 15 minutes before bedtime, struggling with a toddler to get pyjamas on or even just trying to read them a bedtime story can end up being a challenge in itself.
So, to make all of our lives just a bit easier, I’ve gone out into the internet and found some really simple tips that can help you turn bedtime into an easy process. From kickstarting the body’s sleep process, to changing aspects of their bedroom, you’ll find bed time is less of a struggle after working through these tips.
1. Kickstart The Body’s Sleep Process
This first one is a really simple tip, as we prepare for sleep our bodies go through some small changes, which can be replicated or kickstarted by outside influence, so just by trying to start these changes can help send your little on off to sleep. One of the biggest changes the body goes through in the sleep process is a temperature drop, as we prepare for bed and fall asleep, our bodies temperature drops and we start to feel sleepy and doze off.
You can help kickstart this drop by getting your little on to have a warm bath before bed. This will increase their body’s temperature and when they get out their body temperature will start to drop back down to normal levels, but as their temperature drops back down, this should make their body realise it’s sleep time and they’ll easily get to bed.
2. No Electronics Before Bed
This is more of a habit change than most of the options available, it’s 2020, kids have all sorts of electronics and no one will judge you for sitting your toddler down with an IPad while you try to get some ‘me time’. But letting your child use electronics too close to bedtime will end up keeping them awake for much longer.
This is because the screens of all electronic devices from the IPad to the Telly emit blue light, which will keep their body awake and make it harder to get to sleep. In fact, using an electronic device like a phone less than an hour before bedtime can keep your kiddies awake for an extra 30 minutes after being put to bed. So, you should have an electronics curfew around an hour before you send your child to sleep.
3. Black Out The Bedroom
Much like how blue light keeps us up, normal light isn’t great for a sleeping environment and can lead to struggling to fall asleep and routinely waking up in the middle of the night. Most of the light interference will come from the outside world, from streetlamps, cars, etc. And can make it harder for your child to sleep.
So, if you get your child a made to measure blind with blackout fabric, you can effectively block out all this light pollution from outside as well as dampen noise pollution. A blacked out room is a much better environment to sleep in and you’ll notice your child is a lot easier to get into bed after you make this change.