Tips to Get Kids to Sleep
You’re wrestling with a toddler, trying to get them to take a nap, but they’re throwing tantrums, making excuses and refusing to settle down. Sound familiar? If you’ve made it to this article, you’re probably looking for some solidarity, sanity and some understanding. We totally get it, and so do the caregivers and parents that have shared their techniques below!
1. Soothe them with a light massage
Mother and grandmother Tina Morris, of Conway, South Carolina, says she has learned over generations to use touch as a way to achieve a fuss-free naptime.
“Make them as comfortable as possible, clean with a full belly (and) lay with them and give a light massage to the head and back,” Morris says. “Touch is soothing.”
Massage increases the child’s melatonin levels, which improves their sleep cycle.
“I was constantly sick when I was a child, and both my parents and grandparents soothed my discomfort with a gentle touch,” Morris says. “I remember how relaxed it made me feel, so I passed that down the line to my children. I believe it not only relaxes them, but also gives them a sense of security.”
2. Make naptime look like nighttime
A more perceptive child may find it difficult to sleep during the day, when sunlight could become distracting, according to Johnson.
“Light stimulating our eyes is what signals our brain to wake up,” Johnson says. “So, for some children, light can be very disrupting to sleep. Room-darkening blinds, curtains or even putting a blanket over the window can help these children take much longer naps.”
Latasha Doyle, a full-time nanny of 11 years from Denver, says she makes sure the child’s environment is darker leading up to their naptime.
“Turn down the shades or close blinds in the house about 15 to 20 minutes before it’s time to go to the bedroom, especially during the summer,” Doyle says. “Making it darker always helps signal to their little brains that it’s time for nap.”
3. Set the stage for naptime with quiet time
In the same way that turning down the lights prepares kids for naptime, Doyle says, “My biggest tip for no-fuss naptime is to start the wind-down period about an hour before nap.”
Doyle says she doesn’t completely eliminate screen time in the hour before naptime but instead makes sure the volume is turned way down. That means keeping electronics turned down and even keeping verbal discussions calm and quiet.
“Especially with toddlers and pre-K kids, this was effective in setting the tone for when I said, ‘OK, it’s naptime!’” Doyle says. “With babies, I would speak quietly and start singing before I would pick them up to take them to their rooms for pre-nap routines (diaper changes, rocking, feeding, etc.)”
4. Offer a reward for napping or quiet time
Brown says her naptime technique changed as her boys got older, morphing into “quiet time” if they weren’t tired enough to sleep. Now ages 7 and 4, her kids can understand bargaining, so Brown employs the art of persuasion.
“In order to do something fun — in our case, watching 20 to 30 minutes of TV — you had to nap,” she says. “Naptime was a huge struggle for us [before I figured] this formula out. And our boys clearly understood, so they didn’t throw a fit.”
According to KidsHealth.org, children “who participate in decisions are more motivated to carry them out.”
This is all taken from an article written by Care.com directed towards parents. We’ve removed tips and tricks that are more directed towards parents. That said, some parents appreciate ANY insight if their child is struggling with nap or sleep time. If you think a parent would appreciate this, feel free to provide them with additional recommendations from this article as well!
