Guide Note: Bedtime is a term commonly used by parents when they begin getting their children prepared for bed. It is important to have a bedtime schedule for your children to keep them happy and healthy. Children who have proper bedtime guidelines will preform better at school. Bedtime rituals can usually be stories, nursery rhymes, and tucking children in to bed to make them feel secure. Small children usually prefer to have something to comfort them when it is time for bed such as a pacifier, a specific blanket, a specific stuffed animal or doll to enable them to sleep soundly. Since children require more rest than adults, parents usually require their bed time to be at an earlier time than they plan to go to bed themselves but, statistics show that more than 33% of children give problems being sent to bed before their parents bedtime.

Fast Facts:

1. Bedtime benefits children and parents
2. Children think of ways to get up
3. Boarding schools refer to bedtime as "lights out"
4. Consistency important for children
5. Recognize when your child is tired
6. With older children it is good to discuss bedtime with them
7. Follow through with bedtime, don't not give in
8. Younger children usually fight more at bedtime
9. Stages occur where children have fears and anxiety at bedtime
10. As children grow their bodies require less sleep
11. Make sure your child is getting enough exercise
12. Make bedtime enjoyable
13. Use a dark room with a comfortable temperature
14. Night lights good for children afraid of the dark
15. Avoid caffeinated beverages before bed
16. Signs of to little sleep: Short attention span, low energy, more tearful, more anxious, defensive or impatient
17. Most babies sleep longer with an earlier bedtime
18. Children relax more with stories and lullabies
19. Preschoolers sleep about 10 to 12 hours a night
20. Children ages six to nine need around 10 hours of sleep
21. Preteens need a little over nine hours

Disclaimer: The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before beginning any Bedtime program.

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