How to Train a Child to Sleep at Night

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Very often parents find one of the more difficult parts of their day is putting their children to bed without them getting upset and crying. Children get upset because they don’t understand that their day has to end and that they need sleep. They see bedtime almost as a punishment rather than a stage of the day, and it’s nothing they look forward to. Scheduling their bedtime as part of the child’s daily activities is extremely important. You need to select the time that the child is to go to bed and then stick with it. You need to develop a routine that the child can be confident with. Here are some suggestions of how to make bedtime a part of the day that children look forward to.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Bathtub and bathtub toys
Story book
Night light
Soothing music

Step1

Schedule bath time for the same time every night.

Step2

Make bath time something the child looks forward to. Give him some toys and stay with him while he plays. Keep the time span the same every night, 10 minutes or whatever is best for him.

Step3

Once she is in her jammies, give her a special bedtime treat, something like a glass of milk (warmed or not) with one cookie or small treat, or their bottle. She will look forward to this treat because it is special. Brush teeth after this.

Step4

Tuck him into his bed and read to him. Pick a storybook that is simple, helps him to learn and one that can be read in one night.

Step5

Say bedtime prayers with her.

Step6

Turn his light off but leave on a nightlight if he prefers not to be in the dark.

Step7

Leave quiet, soothing music playing in the background in her bedroom while she sleeps.

Step8

Tell him you will be in the other room and kiss him goodnight.

Tips & Warnings

This routine is actually a time of scheduled quality time between you and your child that he will look forward to and respond to.
If you begin this at a very early stage, the child will actually look forward to this special time of the day with just you.
If there is more than one child involved in this routine, the value of the time is still great in their eyes because it’s a special time between you and them.