5 Tricks for Maintaining Your Kids’ Sleep Schedules During the Holidays
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Getting your kids to bed on time can be a challenge, particularly when their schedule gets thrown off by holiday festivities. Without the need to be up early for school, the drive to stay up late and sleep in becomes even stronger for most kids. Here are a few tricks to get your kids to bed on time (or close to it) and awake before noon, not to mention help them learn valuable time management skills that’ll stick with them forever.
1. Plan Something for the Morning
With something to do in the morning, kids are more likely to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Since they are obligated to wake up early, they will be prompted to go to bed earlier. This tip reinforces a critical skill for children to learn: how to be responsible for their time. If they choose to stay up late, they are forced to deal with the consequences of that choice, while if they go to sleep at an appropriate time, they can enjoy the fun activity planned for the morning. The activity chosen should definitely be something enjoyable they can look forward to, like a craft, their favorite breakfast, or a trip to the park.
2. Make Something Available only in the Morning
If your child likes to read, buy them a book and only offer it to them between the hours of 7am-10-am (or whenever you would like them awake). They will have the drive to wake up in order to access the new book.
This method can work for any number of favored activities or items. For example, you may only allow screen time during certain hours of the morning, making it more enticing to wake up early and, by extension, go to sleep early.
3. Cut Off Access at Bedtime
Similar to the previous trick, you may want to make beneficial wind-down items available a few hours before bedtime as well. Though many children prefer screen-based entertainment, it is best to avoid screens at night as they can cause insomnia.
Instead, provide access to a book, a coloring project, a craft, or any quiet, sedentary activity. Just before bedtime, remove the item. This will act both as a wind-down activity and a reason to go to sleep. Without entertainment, boredom can quickly set in and result in sleep.
Another option is to provide soothing music via wireless/bluetooth speakers that you can control and shut off when the time is right.
4. Provide a Toy They Can Keep
If your child has trouble sleeping, another possibility is that they are afraid of the dark -- and maybe also too afraid or embarrassed to tell you. In a case like this, providing them with a soft toy that doubles as a night light is an excellent compromise, in that it provides comfort without overstimulating their senses. You can even combine this with certain calming phrases, like “I promise to keep you safe,” or an extra hug.
5. Create a Chore Only Done After Bedtime
Though using chores as punishment can have a negative effect, finding a hated activity can be a useful bedtime tool. You do not want helping around the house to be associated with punishment, but if your child already hates a certain chore, you might use that specific activity for punishment.
Find a short chore that your child will have to perform in order to stay up later. They will go to bed simply to avoid doing the chore. A similar technique can be used to convince children to wake up early: Rising after a certain hour means a hated chore must be done.
Getting your kids to stay on a healthy sleep schedule doesn’t have to be a battle (even if you have two kids sharing a bedroom, believe it or not). With some clever tricks and planning, you will have a positive routine ingrained in your kids in no time. Use rewards sparingly and chores as employment rather than punishment. Enjoy your holiday breaks without spending each morning and evening fighting with your children.