Child doesn’t want to go to sleep? Do’s and don’ts for a healthy bedtime routine

Child doesn't want to go to sleep
  • Save

You’re tired. Your child is tired. Come the end of the day, there is nothing more exhausting when your child doesn’t want to go to sleep. But sleep they must. So how can you end the bedtime battles and help them settle down for the night without drama? Here, Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart (PhD), chartered psychologist, nutritionist and of course mum, shares her do’s and don’ts for a healthy bedtime routine and how to navigate bedtimes when your child doesn’t want to go to sleep.

When your child doesn’t want to go to sleep, do….

Ensure your child is ready for sleep 

During the day, try and be active and go outside for a walk.  Fresh air and moving the body to get the blood pumping and adrenaline up should help you to feel better and more energised. Movement will also tire out your child to make it easier for them to slip into sleep at night. Also, to sunlight during the day helps get their body clock on track. 

Prioritise your child’s sleep routine 

Start to focus on making bedtime a priority, ensuring you have a set bedtime routine and sticking to it. The routine should involve steps like a warm, relaxing bath, low lighting, a comforting bed time story and a hushed talking voice. 

Think about lighting in your child’s room 

As a parent myself, I have experienced first-hand how difficult life can be when your child struggles with their sleep. I used to buy numerous items to help my child get to sleep, but now Glow Dreaming’s research-based 5-in-1 system has been a life saver! Glow Dreaming includes a gentle red light to stimulate melatonin production, pink noise to support a deeper, more restful sleep, a built-in humidifier to help your little one breathe easier during the night, and fabulous aromatherapy options. An added bonus is that there is no need to fork out for an expensive sleep trainer as Glow Dreaming can provide you with a personalised sleep program from ICRA (Individualised Circadian Rhythm Amelioration).  

Help calm and soothe your child’s body before bed with Magnesium 

Developing a bedtime routine plays a really important role in preparing your child for bedtime. Many families have told me that their little one seems to become very energetic at bedtime and it can be a real struggle to get them to bed. This is where Better You’s ‘Roald Dahl’ Kids’ Sleep Bundle can really help. The sleep bundle contains magnesium bath flakes, a magnesium sleep body lotion and a magnesium sleep body spray, all suitable for toddlers over 1 and those with sensitive skin. Magnesium is a mineral that assists sleeping by helping us unwind and is an important factor in how our body manages our sleep cycle. Using magnesium products before bed may help your child to relax and help their body prepare for that all important sleep time.  

And….

Don’t take your phone into your child’s nursery or bedroom when you’re getting them off to sleep. 

This tip is the most obvious but it is also the most important tip to adopt. Many studies have found that being exposed to digital devices right before you go to sleep increases your chances of having a broken sleep or leaves you struggling to get to sleep quickly. The blue light emitted from the devices can also leave your child feeling more awake than is ideal at bedtime. 

Don’t drop the bedtime story! 

Reading is the age-old night time activity that is guaranteed to relax your mind and send your child off into a deep sleep. The act of reading naturally allows your child to start feeling sleepy and you should find that after just half an hour of reading your child will start to drift off.   A favourite book should become your best friend when it comes to creating a relaxing night time routine for your child.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.