How to Achieve An Early Bedtime

person hiding under a blue blanket sleeping on a white couch, background is blurred

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An early bedtime can be difficult to attain. Sometimes we struggle here at home, particularly during the summer when the days are longer (my kids like to go to bed with the sun).

Is there a benefit to an early bedtime? Is the effort worth it? This is what we are about to find out.

Let’s ask a more basic question: Why is sleep itself important?

First off, sleep plays a vital role in the brain’s ability to change, known as synaptic plasticity. Our brain is making new connections all the time, the connections we use on a regular basis get reinforced whereas connections that are rarely used can degrade over time (Ballantyne, 2017, pp. 323-338).

To state the obvious, we learn while we are awake, (duh). However, “sleep improves our ability to encode and consolidate memories, sleep is necessary for long-term memories.” In addition, the brain uses this time to expel the waste that is produced as cells use energy (Ballantyne, 2017, pp. 323-338).

“Sleep is critical to remove these toxic compounds from the brain and draw them into the bloodstream and on to the filtering system. Without sufficient sleep, these toxic metabolic by-products build up in the brain, which can negatively impact cellular health, neurotransmitter systems, hormone systems and communication between neurons and stimulate inflammation in the brain. And anything that impacts the health of the brain affects every other system in the body. This is likely why inadequate sleep has been linked to many health conditions and to broader issues like immune system dysfunction and hormone dysregulation.”
(Ballantyne, 2017, pp. 323-338)

Did you know?

For kids, sleep is the time they do most of their growing, so you aren’t crazy when you wake up one morning and wonder why in the world your child looks taller or even older all of a sudden. Sleep is when most of the magic of growing happens.

So how much sleep do kids need?

According to Sarah Ballantyne, PhD, author of Paleo Principles, the sleep requirement is based on age:

Sleep Requirement:

Newborns (0-3 months) need 14-17 hours
Infants (4-11 months) need 12-15 hours
Toddlers (1-2 years) need 11-14 hours
Preschoolers (3-5 years) need 10-13 hours
School-age children (6-13 years) need 9-11 hours
Teenagers need 8-10 hours

You might have seen the amount of sleep newborns and infants need and gotten excited thinking those little ones should be sleeping through the night. Not so. Babies usually sleep the longest during the night once they get used to being out of the womb, but they are not meant to sleep through the whole night. They get the 12-17 hours through naps during the day. Typically babies will wake up between 1-5 times a night.

You start to see a change over time as your little one hits the toddler on through early school-age. On average, they still might wake up once or twice at night but they will start sleeping through the night with one nap during the day.

How?

So maybe you are convinced that an early bedtime is a good idea and while during the winter it can be easier because it’s already dark, but what about during the summer or maybe your child is resisting?

Well let’s look…

1. Black out curtains

Curtains can be a great tool for blocking the sun and help your little ones settle down for a early bedtime. Also making sure the room is nice and cool helps a great deal to lull kids to sleep; adults too for that matter. You want cool and dark.

2. Turning off all electronics several hours before bedtime.

Watching TV or playing on some electronic device disrupts our circadian rhythm. If we and our kids ditch the electronics in the evening, and replace that activity with reading, drawing, quiet play, or listening to soothing music we allow our body to wind down and prep for sleep.

3. Consistent bedtime routine:

Consistency helps kids prep and know what’s next. How many stories do you read? Do you sing songs? Do your kids put their PJs on before or after brushing their teeth? Seems silly but consistency is the key.

4. Essential oils can be a great help.

DoTERRA has a restful blend, Serenity, or you can make your own blend; Orange, Lavender, Vetiver, and Ylang Ylang are great sleep aids. They aren’t the only ones, so mix and match how you like or follow the recipes found in The Essential Life. There is also doTERRA’s Past Tense blend that you can roll on the spine to promote sleep.

You can either diffuse the oils during your bedtime routine or apply topically, this roll-on bottle is great.

5. White noise generators

White noise generators, like this one, can keep the outside noise out. There are also apps that let you create soothing music or sounds for your child to listen to help them relax so they can fall asleep. Some of these apps are Tide, Relax Melodies, and Sleepo.

6. Let them have a snack!

We’ve all been there, you get into bed and are trying to go to sleep and you realize… Argh, I’m still hungry. Or you wake up in the middle of the night!!! Happens to the best of us and to our kids too. Letting kids have a snack and maybe a little glass of water during their bedtime routine can curb any lingering feelings of hunger or thirst and if our kids are comfortable and fed they will willingly drift to dream land.

There are several foods that can promote sleep; they do so by increasing our body’s melatonin levels. Melatonin helps regulate our sleep cycle.

Walnuts
Almonds
Cheese
Pretzels
Cherries
Cottage Cheese
Popcorn
Bananas
Pineapple
Kiwis
Oranges

Certain teas like Chamomile or ginger and milk also can help bring the sandman by your house 😉

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Our personal routine

After diaper changes, PJs, and brushing their teeth, Mike and I get them settled in bed and alternate singing 4 of the same songs and reading three books (those we let the kids decide) while the kids eat their snacks. We have a bedtime blend that we diffuse at night, the only time we change the blend is if the kids are sick.

We also turn on the “stars,” It’s a projector, my brother bought the boys for Christmas and they love it. Just so you know, we take the top off so the stars are clear to see. The cover makes them a little fuzzy.

I hope these help. In the end, do what is best for your family. Our methods are not foolproof and sometimes our little ones are going to need more love or attention, but hopefully most of the time you can have a peaceful early bedtime.

Good sleeping!

Any thoughts? I would love to hear from you, drop me a comment or message!

Resources

Ballantyne, S. (2017). Paleo principles: The science behind the paleo template, step-by-step guides, meal plans, and 200 healthy & delicious recipes for real life. Las Vegas, NV: Victory Belt Publishing.

Try These Tasty Foods and Drinks to Sleep More Soundly Each Night. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/food-and-drink-promote-good-nights-sleep

How to Achieve An Early Bedtime

Let’s ask a more basic question: Why is sleep itself important?