Let’s talk about the topic that’s weighing on the mind of every parent: sleep. I love my kids, but I also LOVE to sleep. In fact, I need my sleep. I need a good night’s sleep so that I can have the energy to be the best parent I can be to my kids, and in order to do that, I need my kids to sleep. Sleep, secondary to diet, is one of the most important parts of a child’s development. It is what determines their mood, appetite, behavior, growth, memory, and learning abilities. So you get it, sleep is super important! Today we’re going to talk about how to help kids sleep better, so that YOU sleep better.

Here are a few things to know about my kids and how they sleep. Not only do all 3 of my kids sleep in the same room, but they also sleep early and hardly wake up in the middle of the night. Let me tell you something. If there’s anything I’ve learned from having 3 kids, is that while each kid is different in how they’ve adjusted to sleeping on their own, one thing is for sure: consistency and perseverance always pay off. My kids sleep well on and on their own, all in large part to two things: (1) staying firm about them sleeping in their own beds and (2) creating a consistent nighttime routine.

Why I choose not to co-sleep

Like I said before, I LOVE to sleep too, which is important why I needed to know how to help kids sleep better. I love having my own bedtime routine to wind down from the day so that I can rest and recharge for the next day. A big part of that is creating separation between me and the kids. Although I can understand why some parents choose to co-sleep, I, however, knew from the get-go that it was not an option for me. Even to this day, if the kids ever wake up in the middle of the night and come to my room, I always make sure to bring them straight back to their rooms. As tough as it was, especially in those early months of sleep training, I knew that this was something we needed to do. That is why, one by one, we sleep trained all the kids to sleep in their own bed. And now they can all sleep together in the same room without waking each other even if one of them cries!

The Importance of a Consistent Nighttime Routine

Kids really respect and love routine. This could not be more evident this past October, when we had 3 birthdays to celebrate. This past month, we’ve had cake, candy, and inconsistent bedtimes. And man let me tell you, what a difference it made. Just by sleeping later and eating a more unhealthy diet, it created grumpier and more challenging kids. After this crazy birthday month, I finally got my kids back to their regular sleeping routine and man I felt like I was reborn! They went to bed at 8:00 pm, woke up at 8am, got a good 12 hours of sleep, and ran out of their room happy and jumping for joy. And me? I was jumping for joy because mama got 8 hours of sleep and woke up at 5am to workout and get some work done! So that’s a win-win for both!

A key part of creating a routine is to create a soothing and calming environment that will signal to them that it is time to start winding down and getting ready for bed, and thus, how to help kids sleep better.

• Read below for a few tips on what we do:
• No screentime after dinner
• Warm bath
• Yoga & stretching
• Quiet time / storytime
• Turn on the diffuser with lavender oil
• Sleep early
• Consistent bedtimes

My philosophy is simple: kids sleep well = parents sleep well = we’re all happy in the morning. Of course, there will be days where we’ll let them hang out a little longer or we’ll have a movie night. But in general, we’re pretty strict when it comes to our sleeping schedule. I hope everyone found this post useful. Sleep well everyone! ZZzzzz

Sources: Sleepfoundation.org

Love ,

Tiffany