Are Your Kids Following These Bedtime Rituals For A Sound Sleep?

Being a parent, many of us might be aware of the challenge every night awaits for us, ie to get our little bundle of joy to sleep. Yes, that’s the time when our lovely kid becomes a holy terror. And despite of multiple begging and trying, you just can’t put them to sleep.

When kids don’t get the required sleep, it can impact their health, like less control over emotions, irritability, etc. Also, kids are are sleep deprived are more likely to face behavior and focus problems.

But don’t worry, you are not alone in this. In this article, I am going to talk about some very effective bedtime rituals that can play a crucial role in helping your kid sleep. If you maintain these good sleep habits, you child will fall asleep without any hassles and wake up feeling more refreshed.

Although there is no strict rule for bedtime, since every child is different, here are some basic bedtime rituals to get you started.

1. Create a sleep routine for entire family

The best way to make your kid go sleep on time is to create a routine for your entire family. Settle for a fixed sleeping and wake-up time for the whole family and make sure to follow it, (yeah, on weekends too if you’re wondering). If your kids are falling asleep within 15-30 minutes of going to bed and wake up easily in the morning, you can say that they are getting enough sleep. And that is possible if they are following a fixed routine.

2. Teach saying goodnight

Kids find it comforting that everybody else is also going to sleep when they do. So, sit calmly by your child’s side and wish goodnight to everything in his/her room. Start with their favorite doll or car and end with saying goodbye to each other.

3. Teach them about belly breathing

The benefits of practicing yoga is uncountable. This practice of belly breathing yoga is followed by people in all over the world. Following this practice can benefit your baby too. Ask your kid to lay on his/her back. Also, place a light stuffed animal on their stomach. Now ask your child to gently try making the stuffed animal rise and fall via breathing. This practice not only relaxes their muscles but also keeps them calm and focused. Know more about this practice here.

4. Bedtime stories

Telling bedtime stories is a great way to encourage the habit of reading. Additionally, it is a very effective way of winding down too. Read to them a beautiful story. When they listen to you while laying back, they take their mind off of anything that is causing them stress or anxiety. You won’t even notice, how easily they will fall asleep while listening to these stories.

5. Pray

I have seen many people following this ritual and indeed, it is a very good ritual to get started. Ask your kid to pray before going to bed. Once it has become routine, they will start taking cue that praying in night means it’s sleeping time. Many a kids even yawn through their prayers.

6. Room temperature and clothes

A room perfect for sleep is cool but not cold. So the best way here is to dress your children as you dress yourself. But remember, kids have the tendency to kick off their blankets at night, and they often end up sleeping without any covering. Make sure room is not too hot, not too cold. A mild temperature is perfect for sleeping.

7. Sleep environment

Always ensure that the bedroom is dark and the noise level is lowest there. Although many of the kids are not able to sleep in dark. In that case, you can turn on a small night light. But keep in mind, no kid will be able to sleep in a room which has too much lightening or noise.

Lastly, it might won’t happen overnight. Practice these bedtime rituals with your kid every night, and soon, you will start seeing the results. Do you follow any other bedtime ritual? Would love to know about that!