February 1, 2016
Bedtime Battles

Toddler trouble? Preschooler problems? Maybe bedtimes mean full blown tantrums at your house? Or perhaps bedtimes are just a little more stressful than you’d like them to be?

Bedtimes can be better. With a few simple changes, you can make bedtime a more positive experience for your family.

Make Bedtime Battles a thing of the past

Take the battle out of bedtime

  1. Fill that attention basket – Every child has their own “attention basket” which needs to be filled at the conclusion of the day. If positive attention isn’t available or if the basket is not full, attention seeking will continue, even if it means filling their basket with negative attention.  The solution? Fill those baskets: approximately 15 minutes of dedicated parent and child time per day will do the trick. Find something special you and your child like to do together. It can be reading, playing a game, crafting, puzzling, colouring, etc…
  2. Routine Chart – Take the power out of bedtime routines. You’re not the boss dictating the flow of a routine. The child is not the boss either. Allow a chart to be a boss. This is not a reward based chart.  Check out a sample for you to download here (colourable! or make your own with your child!). Your child can follow the chart and tell you what comes next, allowing them to feel in control.Routine Chart Download
  3. Cut the tech – Turn off the television, tablets, computers and smartphones, at least 2 hours before bedtime. We know screens limit melatonin production. That means it’s harder to fall asleep if you’ve been using technology before bed. Quite simply, screens limit sleep from a behavioural and biological perspective¹,². Make a media plan with your family. Use a tool like OurPact to manage devices.  Make bedrooms a no tech zone.
  4. Consistency – If bedtime is 7:30PM Sunday, 8PM on Tuesday and 9PM on Saturday; that’s a loose definition of bedtime. Add in a child who is aware of the clock, and you’ll be in negotiations around bed timing because, well, bedtime seems negotiable. Select an age appropriate bedtime, based on sleep needs. Children need a regular amount of sleep on weekdays and weekends, therefore, a regular bedtime. Respect your child’s need for sleep.
  5. Choices, choices, choices – Offer choices to give a sense of power, all day long, but especially at bedtime. Ensure options are age appropriate; instead of “What would you like to wear to bed?” use “Would you like your car pyjamas or your baseball pyjamas?” Not “What would you like for a bedtime snack?” but “Would you like blueberry or strawberry yogurt?” Handing over power in situations that matter less means compliance in situations that matter more.
  6. Mind the message – Is “go to bed” or “go to your room” a punishment? If sleep has a bad rap in your home, consider yourself sleep’s newest marketing manager. Make bedtime a positive time of day, with routines your family looks forward to. Talk about the benefits of sleep for mind and body (“Sleep helps us grow strong and be smart”, “We can do so many fun things when we’ve had a good sleep”, “When we’re tired, we all feel yucky”).  Keep bedrooms a positive space.

xxoo

Krista

About the author:

KristaGuenther Krista is a mother of 3 (+1 dog who believes she’s people), a wife to a wonderful husband, and the owner and founder of Sleeperific.  Even though she’s been in the sleep consulting biz for 4 years, she still gets excited when she’s hired by a sleepy family.

References

[1] Thompson, D. A., & Christakis, D. (2005). The association between television viewing and irregular sleep schedules among children less than 3 years of age. Pediatrics, 116(10), 851-856.

[2] Barlett, N.D., Gentile, D.A., Barlett, C.P., Eisenmann, J.C., et al. (2012). Sleep as a mediator of screen time effects on children’s health outcomes. Journal of Children and Media, 6(1), 37-50.

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November 28, 2012

My husband’s parents lives in Europe. Our family is making the trek to visit over Christmas.  Although we’ve been to Europe before with our first child (see below, on one of our previous trips – note the Bosu Ball and my husband’s awesome footwear)…

it’s always different when you travel older children.  I’m having a few anxieties about it for the following reasons:

1) Luggage: It’s winter.  It’s cold.  That means winter boots, snow pants, jackets, mittens, hats, sweaters, long underwear need to be packed.  X 4.  2 out of 4 family members can’t carry luggage.  1 out of 4 has a biological need to run around and explore that surpasses his biological need to cooperate and follow instruction.  Effectively, he’s luggage too.  He’s luggage that’s closely resembles a 35 lb bag of snakes.

2) 1 pair of boots per family member?  For anyone who knows me, you’ll understand why this is a next to impossible situation.

3) It’s a long flight. On our way east, it’s an evening flight. So the flight is set to take off later than the little traveler’s bedtimes.  My children have not been up past 9PM more than once in the past year.  And my youngest will be in our laps for the flight.  For over 8 hours.  He hasn’t slept in our arms in over 1.5 years.  Did I mention he’s a 35 lb bag of snakes?

On the way back home, the timing of the flight makes for the longest day ever.  My daughter shouldn’t be too bad, but the little one will be trouble… revisit the biological needs identified above.

4) Jet lag.  x 4

5) We’re off to the land of beer and sausage, but also milk, cheese and butter.  My youngest has a dairy allergy.  Even bread that’s made with milk will send him into writhing stomach pains.

So what’s my plan?

1) Become a packing ninja.  I’ve already started test packing.

2) I have no idea.  I have no single purpose, looks good with everything, keep my feet warm, can play in the snow boots.  Maybe I need new boots?

3) Aiming to have them as well rested as possible before we even leave for the airport. Getting to the airport in lots of time to have some food, change into jammies, and read some stories at the gate.  Hopefully, boarding and take off all happen at the appropriate times, and they’ll settle in for some long naps.  I actually purchased eye masks and ear plugs for the kiddies so they can hopefully block out the noises and just get some rest.

For the flight home: Loaded iPad.  Books.  Color Wonderful Markers.  In flight movies.  Accepting other suggestions.

4) The aim is to let everyone sleep as much as they want on day 1, while still trying to protect their night sleep.  Day 2 is when we push everyone to be on European time.

5) Avoid EVERYTHING that could have dairy in it.  I believe my son will enjoy indulging in the other German food groups.

I know we’ll have fun. I’m really looking forward to the time away and taking in the European Christmas.  Stay tuned to find out how we manage.

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August 3, 2012
Traveling - Sleeperific Sleep Consulting

Happy Long Weekend!

Some tips for all you travelling families this weekend.

– Car/stroller naps happen, but recognize it may not have been as restorative as a crib/bed sleep.

– Be respectful of your child’s sleep needs; overtiredness leads to bedtime battles.

– Keep up with same the soothing routines and similar (dark, quiet) sleep environment as much as possible.

– Don’t forget the lovey and baby monitor!

 

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