Chasing and Catching the ZZZs
You know the nights…tossing, turning, and readjusting the pillow over and over. Sometimes getting to sleep can be a chore. The culprit can be anything from too much caffeine close to bedtime to anxious thoughts. Our kids can suffer the same problem. The suggestions below will help your child avoid those restless nights.
Set the stage for the end of the day. Winding down before bedtimes helps. Avoid screen time a hour before bed. Announcing that your child gets to go to bed rather than has to go makes the time of day much more enticing. A small mug of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey or a cup of chamomile tea helps too. Cozy jammies, a comfortable bed, soft lighting, and a quiet time with Mom or Dad makes bedtime more of a pleasure than a pain, especially for you!
Keep bedtime fairly consistent. Have a structured routine: bath, brush teeth, books or stories, songs and prayers. Few things beat a warm bath to make one sleepy. Crawling in bed squeaky clean is a good feeling including a sparkly smile. Get your child in the habit of brushing his teeth.
If your child is afraid of the dark, plug in a nightlight. If monsters are the problem, check under the bed and in the closet to reassure your child. Reminding him of Jesus’ constant care and protection provides comfort too.
Do you feel like you could recite Good Night Moon in your sleep? Often children choose the same stories to read each night. Allow your child to choose a book and you choose the other. This will add to the nightly repertoire for the future. Homespun stories are fun too. While I usually read books to the boys before bed, my husband had an ongoing saga featuring the adventures of Super Bike.
Singing at bedtime teaches children the songs we love. My boys and I would often end the day with “Jesus Loves Me,” “I See the Moon” or an I love you song I would make up.
Punctuate bedtime with prayer. Rote prayers are good with little ones. Expanding into personal prayers, including attributes of the Lord, thanking God, requesting forgiveness, and ending with asking for help teaches a child how to talk to his heavenly Father. Pray with and for your child. If falling asleep is a problem, an alphabet prayer can help: A-almighty, B- big, C-caring, and so on. Heavy lids often come mid-alphabet.
Tuck your child in securely and kiss him goodnight. Tell him you’ll see him in the morning to set the expectation that when the sun rises he may too. Enjoy the evening!
© 2012 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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