Sleep Tight: Getting the Kids to Bed On-time

Going back to school means making your children's bedtime a little earlier. On Good Morning Maryland @ 9, wellness expert, Melissa Cassera, explained how to get your kids to bed earlier without the hassle. 

Melissa's Tips

Create a Bedtime Ritual
Make a bedtime ‘mood board’ or ‘picture board.’ Let your child help by cutting out pictures of teeth brushing, bath time, pajamas, reading time and cuddle time. You can incorporate a calendar on the bottom where they get a gold star for every night that each thing is accomplished. They get a reward for a specific amount of gold stars earned. (visual: mood board)

Wind-Down
Help your kids look forward to bedtime by incorporating some of their favorite calming activities for 45 minutes before bedtime. Bath time, cuddle time, and reading are great wind-down activities. Avoid high-energy activities such as TV, computer, video games. Have homework done at least 1 hour before bedtime. (visual - books)

Snacking
Snacking should take place at least one hour before bedtime and should be light and healthy. Avoid sugar and caffeine and instead opt for a snack like whole grain bread with peanut butter and one cup of low-fat milk. Dairy products contain tryptophan, which promotes sleep (but takes one hour for effect to take place) (visual – snack)

Alarm Fun
Make waking up fun with fun alarm clock choices. Pick the Time Tracker lighted electronic timer that alerts kids to time left to complete a task or the Wake Up! Alarm Clock from Creativity Kids which kids can decorate themselves. (visual – alarm clock)

Stay Asleep
Keep kids asleep by removing stimulants from the room. Make a point that your child cannot wake up until the alarm goes off. Give them something to cuddle with, like a teddy bear or a wrap blanket. Lastly, be sure your child gets enough exercise and activity during the day so they look forward to falling, and staying, asleep! (visual – blanket and stuffed animal)