35-50% of young children experience sleep problems.
This number is even higher in children with ADHD or a developmental disability.
And yet, sleep is critical to our health and quality of life. Children who have healthy sleep habits are less likely to engage in disruptive behavior during the day. We also know that when children don’t sleep well, their parents don’t sleep well. This can lead to your own health problems and marital discord.
So, we get it, sleep is important. But how can you get your child to bed without a battle?
First, you want to develop a healthy bedtime routine for your child.
Set the Stage for Sleep
About an hour before bedtime, you want your child’s body to start getting ready for sleep. To do this, start to dim the lights, or turn off any bright lights. Avoid screen time during this time frame. Spending a lot of time watching TV or playing on a tablet right before bed can make it more difficult to fall asleep. It also leads to poorer sleep quality throughout the night.
During this time you want to minimize any rigorous physical activity. Exercise and physical movement are great for your child, just not right before bedtime. This is also the time to start lowering the temperature in your house. You might like your room to be nice and cozy before you get into bed, but cooler temperatures actually promote better sleep.
Consistency
Children like consistency. And bedtime is a great opportunity to implement a consistent routine. Write down the activities you want your child to complete before bed. Maybe it’s bath time, brush teeth, pajamas, and then read books. Sit down with your partner and think about what order you want your child to complete those activities in and about how long you want to spend on each activity. Bedtime should look as similar as possible, regardless of who is putting your child to sleep.
Having a consistent bedtime routine will help your child fall asleep faster. It will also help decrease some of the negotiations and battles you experience during bedtime. Your child will know the schedule and the expectations and will start to learn that there isn’t much wiggle room.
In addition to a consistent bedtime routine, try to establish consistent sleep and wake times for your child. Overtime your child’s body will get accustomed to this schedule and it will become easier for them to fall asleep and wake up without a fuss.
Visual Schedule
It might help your child to make a visual schedule of their bedtime routine. These schedules don’t have to be fancy! You can just write down the list of activities that you want your child to complete and have them check off each activity as they go through the routine.
Visual schedules help your child remember the order of activities. They also allow your child to see their progress as they check off each activity, giving them a sense of accomplishment.
Click here for more information on how to make a visual schedule (see Tip #4).
Increase Compliance
If your child has difficulty following instructions during the bedtime routine, most likely they also struggle with following instructions during the day. Take some time to focus on compliance. Follow these steps to get your child to listen the first time you tell them to do something. Remember that it will take some time to see improvements in your child’s compliance. Set aside 10 minutes to practice these steps every day. Practice them when you have the energy to follow through and your child isn’t cranky. In other words, you probably want to practice them during the day instead of right before bedtime. Once you start to see success during the day you’ll be more likely to see success at night as well.
Bedroom Considerations
Once you get your child into their bedroom, you want to make sure that their surroundings are primed to promote sleep. Their room should be dark and the temperature should be on the cooler side. Try to block out any loud noises. White noise machines help lots of children (and adults!) fall asleep.
Now you know how to set the stage for a healthy bedtime routine.
Feel like you’re still running into roadblocks? Reach out to schedule a free phone consultation.
About Me
Alissa Greenberg, PhD, BCBA-D, has extensive experience working with parents and helping them address their child’s challenging behaviors. As a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level, Alissa uses Behavioral Parent Training when working with families in the Bay Area and beyond. She’s also available for telehealth parent training sessions for families throughout CA. Contact her at info@focusedbehavioralsolutions.com or 925-800-3398 to schedule a free consultation.
Please note that many states are waiving state licensure requirements during COVID-19. This means that you might be able to work with a licensed psychologist who lives in another state. If you have questions, please reach out.
This blog is not intended as therapeutic or clinical advice. If you’re in need of support, please consider speaking to a professional.