Lights Out! It’s Bed Time Kids!

There is nothing better than jumping into bed, wrapping yourself in the blanket, plonking your head down on the pillow and falling into a blissful sleep. It’s the feeling of satisfaction, and relief. Satisfied because the kiddies are in bed, sleeping away and relief because it’s now your time to rest. Ahhh finally, you sigh in relief!

But let’s talk about the two hours before your body collapsed into that comfy bed “¦ melting into the perfect mattress, so plush and soft. Oh yes, you deserved that sigh of relief, with all the crying, screaming and tantrums the kids just exploded on you, fighting with all their might to stay awake.

While kids might not realise just how great sleep is, with a little routine you can make bedtime much easier. They say bedtime rituals are the ticket to a good night sleep, that they can create lasting memories for kids, either because they’re repeated nightly or because they’re a dramatic departure from a hectic day “” a special time with mummy and daddy, reserved just for kids.

Often sleep time comes down to the coziness of the bedroom. Toddlers and preschoolers have a strong sense of ownership over their room, creating a special environment with beautiful kids bedroom furniture, a comfy bed and some personalised decorations is often the trick to getting your child to love their own space. Children (and adults) love snuggling into a comfortable bed, which makes choosing the right mattress so important. With a great range of mattresses for children, Snooze has a variety of options to choose from, whether they are transitioning from a cot to big bed, or you’re looking to upgrade their old mattress to something that will last them through until their feet touch the bed end.

So, to help you get through bedtime without the hassles, Stay At Home Mum (SAHM) has teamed up with Snooze and with help of some of the SAHM followers they have put together these five bed time tips. Give them a try tonight, you may be resting your head sooner than you think!

1. Establish a predictable and consistent bedtime routine.

This is your child’s cue that it’s time for sleep. This might include a warm bath, a massage with lotion, reading books, singing songs or a simple pat on the back while they lay in bed.

One SAHM follower says she uses this routine to get her rugrat off to sleep, “Our family routine is: warm bath, warm milk, stories, cuddles, comfy bed, cuddly toys, music. They are out like a light in no time. Kids thrive on routine, and it’s even more important at bedtime.”

2. Create an atmosphere that’s conducive to sleep.

Aim for a comfy mattress from (Snooze has a large range and absolutely everything is on sale until the 12^th of July 2015), a dark room, a white noise machine or fan, a space that’s free of overstimulating toys. Toddlers will often fight sleep if there is a distraction.

A SAHM follower says, “Soothing music is a great way to start the sleep routine for us, but we make sure to turn it off before the baby falls asleep just so he doesn’t get startled in the middle of the night when it’s all silent. Music is just a great way to soothe him off to sleep.”

3. Don’t rush them into bed too early.

Children should be tucked into bed drowsy but awake, although if they are too awake then sleeping is not going to happen for a while. Reading bedtime stories or singing a song can often tire a child off to sleep, but as one SAHM follower says, a warm shower before bed is good too.

“We shower our baby right before bed. She gets nice a warm and snuggly, and I think the hot water helps too.”

4. Give them some love.

Children love a kiss and a cuddle before bed, because it makes them feel safe and loved before closing their eyes and drifting off to sleep. Add this to a bedtime routine as you tuck them under the covers.

A SAHM follower added this to her child’s bedtime routine and said, “I make sure they go to bed fed, washed, happy and warm, topped off with a cuddle, kiss and, I love you forever and always.”

5. Involve siblings and/or both parents in the routine.

Parents can involve older siblings in the process of putting their baby brother or sister to sleep, because it is both rewarding and comforting for both children. This also works with parents, when they both play a role in getting the child into bed. One can read them a book or tuck them into bed.

One SAHM follower said, “My two-and-a-half year old has story time with mum then a shoulder ride to bed with daddy, and then daddy has to sing twinkle twinkle.”

Finding the perfect bedtime routine may take some experimenting but once you’ve found what works for your family it’s important to stick to it. Kids thrive on routine, by setting up a bedtime procedure you can make night time just a little bit easier on yourself and your little ones.

What is your bedtime routine? Share your tips in the comment section below!