Simple Tips For Bedtime Sanity

Has the holiday hype gotten your little one’s sleep schedule out of whack? Reclaim bedtime with these simple tips from Sitter!

We don’t know about you, but it feels like, from the moment we shared the news of our pregnancies, we were inundated with advice from every well-meaning person we know. Most of that wisdom people shared with us was all about how to get our little one to sleep through the night!

While every child and every family is different, the experts agree that these 4 tips help most families establish a successful bedtime routine.

Consistency

Bedtime routines will look different for everyone. We are not here to tell you what your schedule should be. For some families, consistency might mean a warm bath every night at 7:00, while others may follow a schedule where consistency means a big family dinner that lasts late into the evening. We know that you are the only one that can find the schedule that works best for your family. Once you find the schedule that works, do what you can to be consistent with it.
BONUS: You can always use your child’s need for a consistent sleep schedule to get you out of social engagements that you don’t want to participate in!

Limit Technology Use Before Bedtime

We have all heard the negative impact technology has on sleep. The blue light that is emitted by the screens on everything, from phones to televisions, reduces the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep/wake cycle. Reducing melatonin makes it harder to fall and stay asleep.
BONUS: A great benefit of decreasing evening technology use in young children is that it will become part of their routine. As they get older, there should be less rebelling when you set limits on their phone/tablet and social media usage.

Outside Play Each Day

The natural rhythms of our bodies are linked to the sun’s schedule. As a result, when we don’t get enough exposure to sunlight our sleep schedules can easily get out of sync. The easiest way to rectify this is to make sure your little ones get some time outside every day!
BONUS: If your kids are old enough you can pretend you are a 1950’s housewife and send them outside for unstructured play. Drinking Tang when they are thirsty is optional!

A Routine That Makes The Child Feel Safe And Loved

This is our favorite tip. We love the idea of everyone’s little ones tucked into bed at night knowing they are loved and safe. We think everyone, big and small, should end their day this way! One of our favorite ways to snuggle up with our little ones is by reading a nightly story. Looking for a list of great stories that won’t put you to sleep, click HERE for a list of our favorites.
BONUS: Creating an environment that’s calm enough that you might catch a few extra zzzz’s snuggled in with your little one! Or you can at least pretend to be sleeping while your spouse cleans up the kitchen!

Guess what, even though we stand behind this advice, we are parents ourselves and we know that not everything works for every family! If these tips don’t work for you, or they don’t fit into your lifestyle, don’t beat yourself up over it. You know your family the best – trust your instincts and soon your little one will be sleeping like a champ!