Is your 4 year old fighting bedtime? Is bedtime with your 4 year old your least favorite part of your day? You are not alone! It can be frustrating, mind boggling and down right painful sometimes to get your child to follow a bedtime routine and get into bed at the right time. I am here to share with you 3 surprisingly easy ways to make bedtime easier for you and your kiddo, so you can start looking forward to this part of your day!

3 Ways to Make Bedtime Easier

1. Use a Bedtime Routine Chart:  Children thrive on predictability and routine, so help them by creating a Bedtime Routine Chart for them to hang in their room. Knowing what they are going to do each night helps them stay on track and feel safe within that space.  It also makes the time fun!  Create a chart that they can check each portion off each night or get even more creative with velcro squares that they can move around.  If you don’t have a bedtime routine set for them yet, here is an example to get you started:                                             – Bath, Into Pajamas, Brush Teeth, Go to the Bathroom, Read a Story, Into Bed, Lights Off , Sleep
2. Use Fun! : Turn the bedtime routine activities into fun! Having struggles getting your child to brush their teeth?  Pretend that their teeth are rocks and need shining.  Having trouble getting them into the bath? Hop like frogs to the bathtub.  Is your child not wanting to climb into bed?  Have them try and walk backwards into bed.  Making these tasks fun helps them to move through the routine with less pushback.
3. Make it early:  There is nothing more difficult than trying to get an overtired toddler ready for bed.  Overtiredness can cause hyperactivity, tantrums, and overall difficulty for them to get ready for bed, and can hinder their ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.  Aim for a bedtime between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. I highly recommend setting your child on a 7:00 pm / 7:00 am schedule.  If you set their circadian rhythm or “body Clock”, keeping it consistent every day, it can make bedtime and overnight go a lot smoother. Check out more toddler sleep tips here.

Getting Your Toddler Involved

Your have  probably noticed that I really like integrating a bit of fun into bedtime.  Getting your kiddo involved and also giving them choices in the bedtime routine can be a big help in easing that toddler fighting as well.  For example, “of these two pajamas, which one would you like to wear?” This helps to foster independence within the routine.  As parents, we want sleep to be an enjoyable time for them, and something that they look forward to. Instilling positivity around sleep can go a long way to make the process each night easier.  Start tonight with a bedtime routine chart, using fun and making sure that the bedtime is at the appropriate time and you should start seeing the bedtime process become a more enjoyable time for both you and your toddler!

Have you tried these tips, but your toddler is still fighting at bedtime? Book a child sleep evaluation call here, so we can chat about options for support.  Remember it is never too late to teach your kiddo healthy sleep habits!