As I sit here typing this my 5 year old is trying to quietly run back and forth between his room and the guest room where his older brother has be exiled to for the night. Getting my boys to bed at night, and staying in bed, can be such a tiring task! Ever been there? 
My husband has been in Asia all week not due to return for two more days. It’s been a very busy week for me and to say the least, I’m tired! Now I hear a door slamming and more running from one room to another and I KNOW there are other parents out there having the same struggles!
Here are some successful tactics I’ve used and will choose one to use tonight:
- My most successful tactic is “BEETS FOR BREAKFAST”. My boys share a room but you can use this on any child who has the ability to get out of their bed. I tell them that if I hear them talking, if they get out bed, or they bother their sibling (any one of these) they will get BEETS FOR BREAKFAST. Upon the first infraction, I sadly tell them their entree for breakfast. I always keep a can in my pantry just for this purpose! I only give them two or three slices but they have to eat them all up before they can have a real breakfast. If they choose not to eat them then they go to school hungry. Don’t worry, they won’t shrivel up! They’ll be fine and trust me, they’ll think twice before misbehaving at bedtime again. It sometimes takes two or three times for this to sink in (that you’re not giving in!) but then it won’t happen again for a really long time. TIP: make sure they’ve used the bathroom and gotten their drink of water prior to bed.
- If one of my boys, since they share a room, starts acting up he will be exiled to the dreaded guest room. It’s not a comfortable room for them and it’s a little scary being away from their brother so they don’t like this option!
- I would not focus on telling them to go to sleep. They have a hard time making themselves go to sleep. Tell them “Be sure to get enough sleep tonight so you’re not tired tomorrow.” Let them decide when to go to sleep that way if they’re tired the next morning you can say “I’m sure you’ll want to go to sleep earlier tonight so you’re not so tired tomorrow!”. They also have to be quiet and stay in bed while they are trying to go to sleep. No goofing off!
- If you have a child who has a hard time falling asleep (takes more than an hour), buy them a notebook and have them write down all the things that are on their mind each night before they go to bed. Tell them they can turn the light on and write more down as they think of them. This is called “dumping”. They need to “dump” their thoughts out of their brain onto paper so their brain does not think it needs to try to remember all that stuff or worry about it any more. (This is also a great idea for adults! I do this but I write down my to-do list for the next day instead).
- If you have a very young child who has this same problem, have them “dump” by telling you everything that’s bothering them out loud. If this begins to take some time be sure to start this process earlier so they’re not up so late. It’s a great way to connect with your child to see what’s going on with them, what’s worrying them, what they might be angry or upset, or scared about, etc.
- I’ve also taught my oldest son how to meditate in an effort to relax his mind and body so he can go to sleep easier. We sit on the floor facing each other with our legs “criss-cross-applesauce” and hold hands. I have him close his eyes (I do too) and tell him to breathe in and out and pay attention to the breath. Notice the breath and how it feels as it goes in and out, the coolness or warmth of it, how slow or fast it moves, etc. Focusing just on the breath is the key here. Sometimes soft music is helpful too. We did this for 5 minutes to start and built up as needed.
- Don’t give your child anything with sugar in it (apple juice, milk, fruit, etc.) within an hour or so of going to bed. The natural sugars will keep them up. Water only is our rule!
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