Need Your Kids to Fall Asleep Fast?
Sometimes we need our kids to go to sleep fast.
Maybe we have a BIG night planned.
Maybe we’re behind on cleaning tasks and we just need one extra hour.
Maybe we need to have an incredibly important phone call.
Whatever the case, I am here to divulge my extra sneaky tricks that I pull out for those specific times when I need the munchkins to enter slumberland — fast!
WHY IT HELPS FOR KIDS TO GET TO SLEEP FAST
Let me add a disclaimer here.
Most nights I am cuddling with my kiddos, enjoying telling bedtime stories and even lying in their room until most of my pint-sized treasures are fast asleep.
I do not use these tactics nightly, only when special projects, tasks and needs come up.
Since I don’t do them very often, they work well.
If you are trying to get your kids to go to sleep fast every single night, these may not work so well for you.
I would suggest starting and sticking with a routine first( routine ideas here!), then keeping these ideas on the back burner for special circumstances that arise — planned and unplanned.
So, if you are ever in the need for some quiet, extra time at night — and I know you will be in the near future — then try out these sneaky tips that work well for our family!
My kids are ages 18 all the way down to 9. But I used these tips when they were ages 12 down to 3. :)
Sneaky Tips to Get Your Kids to go to Sleep Fast
Get to Kids Bed Quickly By Having a Contest
This is my most effective, sneaky tip.
I tell all the kids that mommy is going to listen and watch to see which child is the quietest.
They do not have to be the first one asleep, they just have to have their eyes closed, lie very still and not make any noise.
I do not pick the one who goes to sleep the fastest.
That tends to add a level of stress to the kids that relly want to win.
Anyone can win if they just follow the rules.
I stay in the room for the first five minutes or so then leave and return quietly to pick a winner.
I let the kids know in the morning who won.
Here are some prizes I have given out:
- extra 30 minutes stay up the next evening
- special snack with mom and dad
- 30 minutes on the computer or a special movie
- candy
- small toy purchased just for them
- Special activity pack (Like our unicorn pack, our dinosaur pack, or our Twister game!)
Get to Kids Bed Quickly By Keeping Them Active During the Day
On major project nights, I like to spend a lot of time with the kids outside during the day.
We have water fights, wash the car, race, roller blade etc.
Anything to burn up lots of energy after school and chores are done.
I try to keep the pace going all the way until bedtime. Having such a full day helps the kids look forward to a soft bed and restful night.
After lying in their bed for 15 minutes or so, they are normally fast asleep.
Make Falling Asleep at Night Fun!
My kids actually love mom to switch things up a bit and play extra outside or do a contest.
Everyone wins in these situations.
Kids are happy and mom and dad can get some extra work done.
But, again this is something that is not routine, or even nightly.
It’s something that we use when we are in a crunch for time.
Hope these sneaky tips help your family!
Do you have any tips to help kids get to sleep fast?
Share them in our Parents Connect Group!
My dd knows it’s time for bed as soon as we have watched our ‘special’ show on tv. We watch it while having snuggles and quiet calm time. If I want her in bed earlier then we simply watch a pvr’d version. She doesn’t realize it’s pvr’d so she believes we’ve done our regular routine, and she goes off to bed like clockwork…she’s always asleep within 30 minutes of getting in bed. We started this at aged 3 and she will be 10 this year!
Our routine is simple and it works every night unless my youngest has had a late afternoon nap. We have tea, a bit of a play, bath, teeth, drink and bed. My trick, they have to lay still and quiet if they want me to read a book. If they make noise i stop reading until they are quiet again, i remind them to lay quietly if they would likeme to read. I get one chapter in and they’re asleep ;)
If we are coming home from a long day at the zoo or some other outing, we will keep driving around if he is close to going to sleep.
Every night I use a combination of Alison’s and Julie’s ideas, and my daughter always falls asleep within 15 minutes. We didn’t start the ridiculous habit of watching the boob tube before bed- we have quality time together just reading- no tv necessary in our room!
Every household has their own way to do things. I don’t think it’s nice to call their way, “ridiculous” . If you can’t be kind, be ________.
Agreed…this is a nice place for moms with all sorts of ideas to come and no one way works for every family, we should all try to be as non judgemental as possible. Also For anyone interested I am a psychologist and not every brain is the same therefore some brains need no tv for a chunk of time before bed so it can quiet and just as many brains do not need that time away!! Each mom knows their child best so do what works best for your family!!
My almost 4 year old is a terror at night. most nights I go to sleep before him. We just moved to a new house and have an issue with heat right now, (we live in Alaska) so he is sleeping with me and my heated mattress pad. (dad is on the couch). He goes to daycare and is very active with no nap. I begged her not to let him nap. last night it was 11pm before he went to sleep. i couldnt keep my eyes open.
My daughter has a diagnosed sleep disorder (sleep study and all…not fun with a preschooler) that basically means she is a “night owl”. But her behavior was so bad and it was affecting our lives getting her up for school. Her pediatrician recommended .5mg of melatonin at dinner. It worked like a charm! She is 16 and stll needs it. Also, she was diagnosed with AdHd, and sleep issues are common in adults and kids who have trouble focusing.
Best of luck!
I have the same issue with my 2 yr old he has adhd and autism and we tried melatonin but we got to 10 drops and didnt work so ended up having to take respiradole and catapress and valergun its hard i dont want to medicate him but even medicated he wakes about 5 times not medicated was over 10 i was a walking zombie.
If you want email me and we can chat more
Blushcomplexion@gmail.com
:-)
Check the ingredients on the food that he is eating. Food colouring, sugar, corn syrup, starches, msg, and lots of other ingredients can keep children up at night and add to their ADHD symptoms. There are loads of info out there on the WEB, and I’ve seen the results with my own 6 children.
I don’t know how I feel about kids getting rewards for things they should already be doing.. Sugar is the age old culprit to non-sleepers and parents need to watch intake.. Fruits as well as candies. Stop handing kids iPads, electronics etc and they won’t be so wired all the time. I’m a 22 yr old mother & find just keeping my kids active helps tremendously.
We have always made bedtime pleasant time and never used it as a punishment. It’s always been dinner, bath, pj’s, stories, teeth, wee’s, bed. As babies I fed both my boys to sleep, then once weaned at 14 and 15 months, I would sit with them, reading my book in their room. Eventually I would be sitting at the door and then not at all. I think because it has always been a positive, they know what is to happen and never fight it. Now at 8 and 6 bedtime is lovely, I just wish mr 6 would stay there!
All of you Mummies are amazing! Keep up the great work being awesome Mum’s to your kids :) xx
My opinion on biting and breastfeeding is once they bite … That’s it! I feel like once they have started doing it.. They’ll continue. It’s time to stop when it starts!!
The very best way. Is to read them the book,”The Pillow Fairy”. When you go right to sleep in your own bed, the Pillow fairy comes. It works!!!
Our nightly routine we’ve been doing for a quite a while,for our DD who is 5- dinner, clean up,bath,pjs, lotion,teeth, cuddle and read books, potty, gets a water cup, then “hug and kiss time.” So, that’s all at about 8. Then has a little play area in the cornor of her bedroom, where she’s plays, “reads” books to her toys etc. Then lights out at 9 – before the little play time she’d come out constantly until up to 930 at night! So, the little calm play, helps her wind down on her own, such we saw she needed as she can be a very hyper and excitable child, especially around us. She also isn’t in school, but will be starting in Aug (missed cut off) so, this has been working much better, but still some coming out between 8-9 where she usually goes to bed after being tucked in, but sometimes will still come out about this or that and we take turns with telling her a story (I do little red and dh Goldie locks -she loves it and goes to sleep not to long after. If up to her she’d never sleep! Lol
My question is how, on certain nights when DH and myself need a lot more than just an hr or two to work at night, or only time we have to do our side wfhjs without disturbances as we go to bed around 11/11:30? (So we get 2 hrs every night, to ourselves to relax or work then straight to bed)
How can we implement these tips, (or any other tips welcomed!) on an only child? To maybe have “lights out” aka bedtime moved to 8 on such days.. Maybe even 730, if resonable? How can we introduce such tips on a child who loves her whole daily routines, so the sometimes needed, “change” is not so sudden to her? And have it work to where ask are happy?
Thank you