Back to School Bedtime Routines
6 min read
Last Modified 27 August 2021 First Added 18 September 2020
Heading back to school after the summer holidays can be problematic when it comes to bedtime routines. With lighter evenings, summer holidays, and your family enjoying more free time, your kids have likely been staying up later than usual. Clearly, this may have caused some issues for the back-to-school period — whether they’re teens or toddlers! But all is not lost. Getting a good night’s sleep will help make the return to term-time that little bit easier, so join us as we explore sleep routines and bedtime tips.
We spoke to sleep expert Dr. Robert Rosenberg for his advice on re-establishing your kid’s bedtime routine.
Related: How To Design A Kid’s Bedroom To Help Them Sleep At Night
Establishing a night-time routine that you and your child can stick to will go a long way when it comes to taking away the stress of heading back to school. Here are some things you can try to make bedtime a lot easier:
Completing tasks such as preparing packed lunches, laying out uniforms, and sharpening pencils will help to ensure both you and your little one can get a nice relaxed night’s sleep. Making sure you are fully prepared for the big day ahead will also ease those busy school morning runs.
After a busy day of playing, shouting, and jumping around, your little one will most likely be in need of a nice warm bath to unwind. Having time to relax before bed will help your child to fall asleep quickly and more easily. Once they have nodded off, why not run a bubble bath for yourself?
Starting your bedtime routine earlier will help your family to establish a stress-free evening. Try to avoid stimulating activities after dinnertime like rough play and instead encourage calming ones such as colouring in. The calmer your kids feel towards bedtime, the sooner they’ll start to feel sleepy. Putting your child to bed early is important to make sure they can get enough sleep.
Bedtime routines aren’t always easy. If your child is finding it hard to get into a routine or struggling to stick to it, trying some new relaxing activities may help to have them drifting off in minutes. Stretching, encouraging them to talk about their day, or saying goodnights are components to help your child know bedtime is coming, making them feel sleepy.
Related: Best Kids’ Bedtime Stories for Every Age Group
Getting back into a routine or starting a new one can be challenging. Sticking with it and knowing you will get through will help establish a sleep schedule resulting in peaceful nights and stress-free mornings.
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It’s all well and good promoting the benefits of bedtime routine but as any parent will know, implementing them (and sticking to them) is a different story. To ensure you are given the best chance at success, consider the following tips:
What’s your little one’s bedtime routine? Let us know in the comments below.