How I Put My Kids Early to Sleep

When our kids were babies they slept very long hours. Practically they slept almost the whole day and we were sometimes fond watching them sleeping. But as the months go by their sleeping pattern changed from almost a day to 11 or 13 hours a day in total this includes afternoon naps and evening sleeps. I read that sleep deprivation are one of the reasons why kids are cranky and irritable. Those kids who get a lot of sleeps tend to get more concentration and focus.

At night we normally put our kids to sleep at 9pm. However, it doesn't mean the moment we enter the room they will sleep right away, our kids will still ask us to play or read some story books since they're 3 and 5yrs. old. This is also a good time for parents, because it also provides us time to have a heart to heart talk with our kids. Further, playing before they sleep help our kids to drain out all the energy that was left in them during the day, thus it would be easier to put them to sleep. It is valuable to us to give this early training to them so that they can always have complete course of sleep. Likewise, when they go to school at an early times slot it will not be that difficult for them to wake up in the morning since they get the right amount of sleep.

The first thing we do, so we can put them to sleep early at night is to tell them in advance that they need to sleep at a particular time (e.g. 9pm). And usually they will ask you why... Tell them the truth that they need to sleep early... So they can have more energy the next day. Then every night we prepare the bedroom so it will be conducive for sleeping once the kids are inside. Our kids also go through bathroom routines before they sleep so they will feel fresh and clean. Next, when the hour comes we start to ask them to keep their toys and things. We would also help them to do this to make it clear we’re serious in putting them to sleep. After that we would turn off the TV and some of the lights in our living room. And once the lights are off they start to follow us in the bedroom. After a short a prayer and story telling, it's time for them to sleep. If they don’t feel like sleeping yet, we stay with them for couple of minutes at best 30 minutes.

By putting our kids early to sleep we're doing our kids and ourselves a favor. My wife and I have more time for each other, doing household chores and doing our own individual late activities. Most importantly, our kids will have a good and healthy sleep. Good Night.