Does your child seem to get a second wind before bedtime? Get your kid to bed on time with these tips to get them tired.
There are so many reasons why a toddler or kid may have difficulty falling asleep. The days of being a baby who has no real routine during the day is now older and has other obligations that can switch up their ability to calm down and go to sleep. If you have a child who’s struggling with calming down for bed, check out these tips below.
Here are 5 Surefire Ways To Tire Out Your Kid Before Bedtime
Have a Bedtime Routine
Your first step to tiring out a child before bedtime is to have a bedtime routine. Within two weeks of having a regular bedtime routine, you’ll see that your kid can associate certain aspects of their nighttime routine with sleep. This bedtime routine can start with bath or shower and teeth brushing as well as reading a book. This bedtime routine will be a set of tasks that you do every night about an hour or two hours before bedtime to ensure your child is prepared to lay down and go to sleep.
Have Active Daytime Play
While you don’t want your child getting all hyper at bedtime, you can exert them by having some major active daytime play. Do things during the day that use up some of your kid’s exertion such as running around outside or inside if the weather is too cold. For toddlers, they can engage in games like this one to use gross motor skills while also engaging in critical thinking skills.
Reduce Stroller Use
Using a stroller to carry your toddler around is much easier than having them run free with you at the grocery store or other errand running events, but the reality is that this doesn’t tire your toddler out. If you find that you’re carrying your child or pushing them in a stroller a majority of the day and they’re wired at bedtime then you need to reduce stroller use. There are many ways to keep your kid close by during errand running without a stroller, such as the Toddler Anti-lost Belt with Safety Leash.
Have Them Help Clean Up
It’s a good habit to have your child cleanup their own mess and toys, but they can also start to help clean up the family mess. Give them a few swifter clothes to go over the floors. Or a duster to help dust some shelves or baseboards. Have then put away their own laundry. You can start with the easy stuff like socks and underwear when they are young. These habits will not only keep you house neat but instill good responsibilities, as well as help them wind down for the night.
Minimize Sugary Treats
Lastly, you’ll need to minimize any sugary treats throughout the day. Kids have a natural reserve of energy regardless of what they consume during the day. Be sure that you offer healthier snack options that have minimal sugar and if they do have sugar, try to go for a natural sugar option as opposed to the unhealthy sugar treats that are cheap and full of bad sugar. Being certain that your child isn’t consuming sugary treats all day will ensure they have less energy when the time comes for them to lay down to bed. Food plays a huge role in energy levels for adults and children.
These ways to tire out your kid before bedtime will ensure that you start to have more sleep in the house and that your child starts to sleep longer periods of time. The key for tiring out your little one is to stay focused on getting them to use up their energy during the day and not eating unhealthy treats all day long. Start using these tips today and watch as your kid starts to develop a calmer sleep routine before bed.
RELATED:
- 6 Age Appropriate Consequences for Toddlers That Actually Work
- 10 Effective Strategies To End Bedtime Tantrums for Toddlers
- 6 Easy Solutions To Prevent Your Toddler From Climbing Out Of Their Crib