As parents, we know sleep help is not only about getting your child to sleep through the night. It’s also about getting your child to go to bed without bedtime battles—the bewitching hour; we all know it. Everyone is exhausted from the day, leading to short fuses and snap decisions. But what if I told you bedtime could be fun. Would you believe me?
Curiously researching sleep help ideas for you, I found a fantastic resource. Founder of Parents with Confidence Angela Pruess, mother of 3 and a licensed child therapist, mission is to “help your child live their BEST life.” I was so excited about her work; I wanted to share her insights on shifting our mindset to bedtime routines. She helps us move out of the evening stress and exhaustion and into solutions. And when it comes to helping your child sleep through the night, we’re all about helpful solutions:). With Tucked+Covered’s nurturing sheet design and Angela’s Fresh and Fun bedtime activities, you’re on the road to peaceful sleep help habits with your kiddos:)
Here are a few of Angela’s Fresh and Fun Bedtime Tips we picked with you in mind:)
Have a tooth brushing party with everyone in the family, complete with music and dancing.
Great idea, Angela:) Your tooth brushing party idea gets my imagination flowing. For example, to get those teeth super clean without your kiddos realizing it, add an element of “Musical Chairs” to the party. Have your child point to the teeth they want to brush first (i.e., upper left side, lower left side, upper right side, lower right side, and don’t forget the tongue;) Start the music and begin brushing. When the music stops, spit swish with water and pick another side to brush. When the music starts again, brush away:). Continue until their whole mouth is clean. If your feeling creative, add a fun, exciting, and sleep-provoking party ambiance to the bathroom. How? Add some star glow stickers to the ceiling or a red star nightlight to the bathroom. Why red? Red light waves produce melatonin. There are some excellent and soothing red nightlights out there:) How’s that for multitasking;) Now, the darkness and the red “party light begins soothing your child for the sleep help you need, all the while having a fun tooth cleaning party:)
Enforce a no talking singing only rule
I love to sing around the house:) For me, it’s an instinctual way to pick myself up from the daily mundane, humdrum household tasks. So, Angela’s no talking, singing only rule is at the top of my list to share. Image for a moment your bedtime routine in song. Fun, silly, and easy to implement, right? To heighten the fun, add body language to the tune. For example, at the beginning of the bedtime routine, pretend to hold a microphone, play an air instrument like the guitar, drums, or piano. As you move closer to sleepy time, soothe your little one with the sound of lullaby tunes. Another one of Angela’s fun suggestions is singing the bedtime story, which perfectly fits this scenario. I’m excited to hear about your experience with this sleep help soother:)
Fun Fact
Did you know singing, like exercise, boosts our brain’s endorphin flow? It’s true. Research shows singing relieves pain naturally, reduces anxiety, and creates trusting feelings all at the same time. It’s no wonder I like to sing:)
Swap roles and pretend to be each other (think Parent Trap)
Whether it’s bedtime fun or a lesson to teach, role play is an excellent tool for family conflict resolution. Then again, it can also be used in-game for just plain fun. Nonetheless, if we are present in mindset as children begin imitating us, it’s sure to be an eye-opener for parenting. Experiencing role play with my kids, I’ve been surprised at how nice and frustrated I sound in different situations. Yep. As our little ones imitate us, we can see our parenting as they do, up close and personal. And, of course, the child may also be surprisingly enlightened as you imitate them. Keep in mind, if you’re using the roleplaying game at bedtime, keep it light so you can say goodnight. We want sleep help, not sleep upset;)
At Tucked+Covered, our mission is better sleep for the whole family.
Our design is as easy as 1, 2, 3. By adding 3 pairs of buttons, we keep your kids comfy covered, the bed neat and your child sleeps so much better. So, if your child is waking at night, give us a try risk-free for 30 nights or naps to see if we can help you. Moms helping moms. It’s what we do:):)
A big shout out to Angela Pruess for sharing her innovative ideas to create a fun and light-hearted bedtime routine:)
Thank you!!