Sleep is very important so how to help kids sleep well should be a top priority for you.
Good sleep is needed for kids and adults alike. But the amount of sleep per kid or adult does differ.
Kids especially need more sleep than us adults. Knowing how much sleep your child needs at their age will help you in making a bedtime for them.
Making a consistent bedtime for your kids will help them in attaining the amount of sleep they need each night.
Of course, that is not all there is in how to help kids sleep well through the night or sleep soundly. There are many other factors you need to look at and help accommodate your child with those needs.
Ways to help your baby, toddler, young kid, or teen to sleep well.
- Bedtime Routine – Having a bedtime routine will help your child get ready for bed and be prepared to fall asleep.
- Morning Routine – When kids have a consistent morning and bedtime routine, they are more apt to be getting the amount of sleep needed each day. This will also help set their body’s internal alarm clock. And they will get used to going to bed and getting up around the same time each day.
- Reading – Read before bedtime. Reading can relax and calm one down for sleep. Plus, all kids, even teens, should read as it is good for them. Read to your babies and small kids as that is their first foundation in reading.
- Sound machine/white noise – A sound machine playing just a basic sound like the rain, a fan, or other noise can be relaxing. It can also wipe out any other noise going on in the house.
- Classical or Instrumental music – Playing classical or some type of instrumental music in the evenings and even while your baby or kid sleeps can be what they need. My daughter reminded me the other day about how I would play Viola music each night for her as she fell asleep. She said that it really relaxed her and helped her sleep well. If your child is learning to play an instrument it might not be a bad idea for them to listen to it as they fall asleep.
- Soothing bath – Taking a soothing bath before bedtime may be what some kids need to help relax them for bed. Others might wake them up more and energize them. Therefore, baths should be done in the morning for those kiddos. Figure out what works best for your kid and go from there.
- Writing in a journal – Writing out what is on your mind or what you are worrying about might help your kid fall asleep and sleep better. If your child is one that is constantly thinking about things and can’t fall asleep then have them try this. Or maybe they are just worried about the next day so help them plan for the next day so they can just go to sleep.
- Setting out clothes before bed – Have your child set out their clothes before bed. They can decide what they want to wear to school the next day and have it all set out. That way they aren’t going to sleep worrying about if they have this or that clean or any worries on their mind. It will also speed up your morning routine.
- Prepare backpack before bed – Have your child put everything needed for school the next morning in their backpack before they go to bed. Make sure homework and books are packed so they won’t be forgotten the next morning. If your child is a worrier, then it might bring them some peace knowing this is already done and they won’t forget their homework the next day. That will help in the aid of sleeping better without worries on their mind.
- Prayers before bed – Sometimes all it takes for a kid to settle down and fall asleep is simply saying a prayer. This can be done by themselves or with you before they go to sleep. If I am having a hard time sleeping, I’ll just start praying and talking to God. Before I know it, I’m fast asleep.
- Massage – A massage while lying in bed can help calm and relax them. This could be a back massage, a back scratch, or a back tickle as my kids would ask for. You could even massage their feet if they like that. You could use oil or lotion.
- Snuggles and cuddles with you – Most kids need that extra love and attention. If they are trying to go to bed with their love box full, they will sleep better. Kids going to bed without their hearts feeling full might be sad and missing those emotions they need.
- Setting alarms – Setting an alarm on a phone, alarm clock, light timer, etc., can help a kid fall asleep knowing they will be woken up at the time they need to. This will be best to start when your child is old enough to wake up from an alarm. Start with a light timer. A light timer will turn a lamp on at a specific time. This is great for the morning, so their room won’t be pitch black when it’s time to get up. I think it helped my kids by thinking okay it’s morning time now. And then I would go in and wake them if not already awake. As your child gets older, you can use the light timer in conjunction with an alarm so they can get themselves up. Transitioning later to just an alarm.
- Limit electronics – Limit TV, Phone, and Computer time before bed. Try not to let your kids be on the computer, phone, or other electronics right before bed. 1. Watching action shows or playing video games can keep your mind going and make it harder to get sleepy. 2. Blue light interferes with the body’s release of melatonin which helps you feel sleepy. This can make it harder for kids to fall asleep fast.
- Limit wild crazy play – Try and limit your child from playing big gross motor play in the evenings. Get in all the gross motor and ruff house play done before dinner time. In the evenings have a board game that you can play, cards, puzzles, coloring books, or any other easygoing activities. You don’t want your kids to be all riled up. You want them to start calming down.
- Monster spray – I know this sounds very silly or dumb to some. But if your child is very adamant about having a monster in their closet or under their bed you may need it. Don’t make your kids feel stupid or just brush it off. If they feel there is something bad there, then talk to them about it. Maybe talking about it can resolve the issue. Check out the closet, or under the bed for them. If that solves it, then great! If not, then give Monster Spray a try and see if that works. Our monster spray was just a mild room deodorant spray that we made a label for. You can type out monster spray, print it out, and then glue or tape it to the can. This was a game changer for my daughter as she had that issue for a little time. After doing that for a while she just forgot, or those feelings went away. The spray can help them feel safe and help the problem go away. Also, if the spray has a nice scent like lavender or some herbal spray that is for relaxation, that may be what really does the trick.
- No scary stuff before bed – I’m not saying scary movies are bad, as I do enjoy watching some. I just don’t think they are the best before bedtime, even scary stories. If your child can’t fall asleep or sleep well because of scary stuff, then make sure they only read or watch those occasionally or earlier in the day.
- Comfort Items – Let your child sleep with a comfort item. Whether that is a stuffed animal that they can cuddle and snuggle with. Or it could be a soft blanket that they love. If your child enjoys that extra comfort, then let them have it. It could also be a body pillow for older kids.
- Comfy Pajamas – Make sure that your child has comfy pajamas. If your child doesn’t like tags, then make sure there are no tags on their pajamas so it’s not irritating them. Also, if the clothes your child sleeps in are itchy or made of material they don’t like they may not sleep well.
- Room temperature – keep the bedrooms at a cool temperature that will help your child sleep well. If the room is too warm or hot that might interfere with their sleeping. Kids may like to keep a blanket on them as a security so keeping the room cool will allow them to use a blanket.
- Proper blankets – Have enough blankets for your child to keep warm and keep comfy. Just remember we are talking about kids, not babies. Be extra cautious with babies and what you have in their cribs. You do not want them rolling over and not being able to move off any item that can prevent them from breathing.
- Pets – If pets are sleeping with them and getting in the way then maybe you can find a better place for them to sleep at night. Your child’s sleep is important. On the other hand, if your pet sleeps at the bottom of the bed, on a bed in their room, and doesn’t interfere with their sleeping then maybe they would feel safe and sleep better. That does go into the question of whether it really is safe for a pet to sleep with a child. I know people have differences in that opinion. I do think it’s probably better for a pet to sleep elsewhere so the child doesn’t get woken up by the pet. Also, it could be dangerous as some people have gotten hurt when they woke an animal from their sleep. You don’t want your child hurt because they were asleep and reacted out of fright.
- Eliminate or decrease the amount of caffeine – Decrease the amount of caffeine intake during the day or eliminate it in the evening. Caffeine will cause your child to be more awake and alert than what they need in the evenings.
- Decrease the amount of sugar – If your kid has a sweet tooth then maybe try giving them a low-sugar dessert at dinner and eliminating all sugar items after dinner. Sugar can really hype some kids up and that is not what they need before bedtime.
- Limit drinks before bed – Don’t let your kids drink much before bed. If your child is constantly getting up in the middle of the night to go pee, then it can really mess up their sleep. Also, it can help prevent bedwetting if that might be an issue. So come up with a time that they can’t have any more drinks except for a little sip of water.
- Nightlight or not – If your child is scared to sleep in their own room, having a nightlight in their room or the hallway may help. But it also goes the other way. If your child isn’t sleeping through the night very well it might be because there is too much light interfering with their sleeping.
- Share a bedroom – If your child doesn’t want to sleep in a room alone and there is another sibling maybe have them share a bedroom if that would solve the problem. Or just do that for a little while till they are used to their room then the sibling can move back to the other room.
- Set a positive mood – In the evenings it can be crazy and hectic especially if you have several kids. Be sure that you as a parent set the mood in the evenings to be calm and enjoyable. If kids are going to bed after a nice calming peaceful evening, they will be calm and ready for bed. If you are running around yelling and fussing at the kids, then it won’t be calming and will be stressful. This could create your kid going to bed all stressed out, which wouldn’t be easy falling to sleep that way.
So, to review, pay attention to how your child is sleeping. Figure out how you can help them sleep better with the 28 tips I have listed above.
A nice evening and a good night’s sleep is what your child needs, to have a good productive day of learning for the following day. Or just in general a good productive day.
As you will soon see, the 28 tips on how to help kids sleep well will greatly help your child out if you haven’t already been doing these things.
My hope is that you will be able to figure out what your child needs to feel loved, safe, and calm to have a good night’s sleep.
Sleep is very important for kids!
It can sometimes be the answer to why your kid may not be doing well in school or why your kid isn’t paying attention or learning.
These steps on how to help kids sleep is to help aid in them sleeping throughout the night. But in order for them to work you can’t just pick and choose one or two items.
You really need to know your child and what does or doesn’t work for them. Each child individually is different.
Most of these tips on how to help kids sleep are universal. But there are some that need to be unique to each child. For example: If your kid doesn’t like classical or instrumental music it may affect them in a negative way versus a positive way. Maybe the sound machine irritates them. Or maybe they can’t stand foot massages because it irritates them.
Take time to really figure out your child and what they do and don’t like.
Hopefully, this will help you and your kids have a good night’s sleep and wake up more refreshed.
Sleep well!