Bedtime Battle: Tips On How To Break The Late Sleeping Habit
Want to get some shut-eye but your kids are still up in the wee hours of the night? Here's some tips to steer that late sleeping habit.
I am Mommy Quennie, a hands on mom for more than 2 years now. Truth be told, I am still no expert when it comes to parenting (and I like it that way). I am not even close to my own definition of an "Ideal Mother". But I love to challenge myself and see what progress I've made. And yes, I am learning everyday!
This week's challenge
"Gradually adjust P's sleeping hours"
I call this project, Sleep Rehab! Sounds intense noh?
Sneak Peak on his sleeping pattern for the past few days
Monday: 11:30 pm
Tuesday: 12:30 am
Wednesday: 11:30 pm
Thursday: 10:30 pm
I call those nights as Teleserye nights. Meaning? Bedtime routine won't be complete without the episodes of drama, with of course the most promising child dramatic actor. Lol.
HOWM Tip 1: Before you start the Sleep Rehab, Pre-condition yourself. You must be aware that addressing this habit could be a long process and frustrating. It might help if you have something to remind you of your core and your goal in order to keep you going. Something like this...
"Strive for Progress. Not perfection."
HOWM Tip 2: Plan ahead. Write down all the possible approach you can think of to lure him to bed.
Here's My Personal Bedtime Plan
Early dinner
Freshen up
Toothbrush
Playtime / Cuddle / Sing
Massage
Set up a cozy room (i.e. Dim the lights)
Story telling
Quiet time
Pray
Latch
Pretend I'm asleep (YES this helps. A lot! Hahaha)
If you're a visual learner like me it is wise to create your own list too. Is this necessary? Come to think of it. You are starting to get frustrated because you feel like you're not making any progress for the night, go back to Tip number 1 (Strive for Progress Not Perfection) and breathe. Then take a look at your Bedtime Plan AGAIN. See? Madami ka pang bala to wind him down mommy. Di ka pa mauubusan ng activities. So don't get frustrated yet.
Our Journey
Day 1 of Sleep Rehab
Up by - 8:30 AM
Afternoon nap - 5 to 5:30 PM
Dinner - 8:00 to 8:30 PM
Playtime - 8:30 to 8:45 PM
Clean up and change to PJ - 8:45 to 9:00 PM
Lights off - 9 PM
Massage + Toothbrush - Done by 9:30 PM
Read a book + Quiet time + Latch - 9:30 PM
Zzzzzzzzzzzz - Before 10:00 PM
Day 2 of Sleep Rehab
Up by - 9 AM
Afternoon nap - 1:00-2:30 PM
Cuddle and playtime - 5:30 to 6:30 PM
Dinner - 6:30 to 7:30 PM
Errands - 7:30 to 8:00 PM (I needed to pause for a couple of household errands)
Freshen up + massage + watched his fave Peppa Pig episode while brushing his teeth + lights off - 8:45 PM
Quiet time. Latch. He asked if he can watch again but I refused so he threw minor tantrums. Played Peekaboo. Pretend play (used books to build mini tents). Pooped. Story telling. Latch - 9:30 PM. I know. I know. A lot has happened in that 45 minutes. Wheew!
Zzzzzzzzzzz: Before 10:00 PM
Day 3
Up by - 8:00 AM
Afternoon nap - 6:00 to 7:30 PM
Dinner - 8:45 PM
Wash up. Toothbrush. Massage. Watch. - 9:00 to 9:50 PM
Quiet time. Latch. Zzzzzz. - 10:12 PM
Day 4
Up by - 8:00 PM
Afternoon Nap - 3:30 to 6:45 PM
Pooped. Pretend Play (I asked him to tuck his favorite toy buddies to sleep). Zzzzzzz. - 10:12 PM
Day 5
Up by - 8:30 AM
Afternoon Nap - 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Dinner - 6:00 PM
Freshen up + Message - 7:00 PM
Playtime - Until 9:00 PM
Latch + Quiet time - Until 9:30 PM
Zzzzz - Before 10:00 PM
So there. That's how our Day 1 to 5 went. You see, it is not perfect. My initial goal is to tuck him in before 10 PM for the first 5 to 7 days. Then gradually adjust it until we reach the 8 PM goal. But there were days when it did not happen. The good thing though is that on the first five days of the rehab, he never reached the 10:30 PM mark (his earliest bedtime prior to this). Again, I am aiming for progress. Not perfection. And the best part? I saw a vast improvement both on our behavior. It saved us from the usual emotional stress. Our bedtime routine is no longer an exhausting tug of war. One happy baby. One less frustrated mom. Goodbye teleserye nights!
10 Key Takeaways from the Sleep Rehab
Take it slow. Give him 15 to 30 mins to enjoy each activity from your bedtime list
End his day with happy thoughts. Do not call it a night if your child is upset or still has a negative note.
Give him ample of quiet time. Just let him be. You can also use this time to pray, massage him, or reflect on how his day went.
No need to do everything that's on the list. Play it by the ear.
Adjust or shorten his afternoon nap time if possible.
Set your gadgets aside. No bedtime routine will work if mom herself is undisciplined or unengaged with the bedtime activities. I tried documenting our journey by taking photos. But it caused us more harm than good. Gadgets = distractions.
Observe. How many hours is he active before he turns fuzzy? That's your queue.
Bring his favorites inside the room (toy buddies, books, glass of water, etc). Kids love to make excuses just to sneak off.
Be consistent. No matter how late his afternoon nap was taken start the bedtime routine the same time you did the day before.
If there are things on my list that I won't give up it will probably be
Dinner
Freshen up + Toothbrush
Massage
Quiet Time
Pray
Latch
Again, I am no expert when it comes to parenting. But this is my first-hand experience as a hands on mom and this approach worked for us. Our journey to an earlier sleeping habit is still rocky but I'm glad to share how our mistakes serves as a proof that we are trying!
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HOWM Reminder: There is no ultimate parenting methodology or one right way of doing things. If what you are currently doing is getting the results you want, keep doing it. Hands On Wife and Mom offers additive options rather than necessary imperatives. Take what you find useful and leave what you do not need. Our goal is to augment your awareness of what is possible to accomplish in parenting, and to increase your choices for succeeding in a way that benefits both you and your child. Increased awareness and greater flexibility translate into greater success, fulfillment, and enjoyment.
