Getting kids back into a proper bedtime routine before back to school is no mean feat! Holidays mean later bedtimes and it is often difficult to get back into the swing of things. Add to that the stress and anxiety of a new school year and bedtime can quickly become a battleground.
But it doesn’t need to be! These are our bedtime tricks to make back to school easier.
I’ve found that back to school time is a perfect time to shake up the kids’ bedrooms and get them set up for good sleep! The more calming and enticing the bedroom is, the more likely the kids are to get that restful night’s sleep that they need before a busy school day.
I’m well aware of how important a soothing night’s sleep is for children’s development, concentration and behaviour. My son has always struggled with sleep, so we have a set routine we follow every night and these are some of the tips we use to ease into the back to school bedtime routine.
Cuddly toys
Each of our kids has a bedtime toy. For my daughter, it’s a unicorn with flippable sequins that she can fiddle with as she drifts off to dreamland and my son has a beanie boo dragon. Both of those toys only make an appearance at bedtime – they stay on their pillows throughout the day catching up on sleep because I say they stay awake all night to look after the kids! Picking them up and cuddling them at story/reading time keeps them special and means they really help to signal the transition to sleep time.
Bed linen
What makes you happier than nice new sheets? Awesome new ones that cater exactly to your interests of course! All things animal are a hit here at the moment, from unicorns and dragons to underwater creatures. This gorgeous deep-sea quilt cover set is perfect for creating a calming sleeping environment. Add a cute pillow and you have created the
perfect environment to foster sweet dreams and good sleep. Letting the kids choose their bed linen also helps with facilitating bedtime. There is something for everyone’s tastes at Myer.
Pyjamas
Fresh clean and cuddly, new PJs make kids so excited and they make getting to bed so much easier! We have a tradition of new PJs the week of school going back – new jammies, new year. The kids get all excited to put them on, and once on…well…they have to go to bed! It’s kind of sneaky on my part – but nobody needs a drawn-out bedtime. I love matching my daughter’s favourite unicorn toy with this cute nightie. And while my son is still little, I’m trying to get all the hugs I can.
Setting the scene
Creating a set of steps that have to be achieved before bed is really helpful for setting boundaries and making bed time routines quicker and easier. We do pyjamas, hair and teeth always made more enjoyable with their favourite toothbrush and then bed! Once in bed, they have reading time for 15 minutes, with the main lights off and using a fun night light like this one.
Keeping an eye on the time
Having a clock in the bedrooms that kids can read is also really important- we have a digital clock in their rooms so that there is no confusion. Any wake-ups before 6am mean trying to go back to sleep and anything before 7 means reading in bed. That’s why it’s really important to have a bedside light the kids can turn on themselves.
Settling back in
Starting the back to school bedtime routine a week before school goes back really helps everyone to get prepared and means that the kids aren’t overly tired. Maintaining and sticking to a bedtime routine throughout the year makes it simple to remember what to do at night time and means the kids almost take care of it themselves.
The perfect sleep environment
Dark, quiet and filled with favourite things is the perfect sleep environment. Brighten up the kids’ bedroom and make it a place they want to spend time just in time for back to school to ensure they get the perfect night’s sleep!
GOODNIGHT!
