5 Bedtime Tips and Tricks

My poor little Pea has been feeling poorly the last few days, with a bad cough keeping her up at night. Which, as all Mommas know, results in a tired little girl during the day.

Tonight, my overtired chick completely melted down, and bedtime became a nightmare. Not quite as terrifying as "Paranormal Activity", but the pitch of her furious screaming is eardrum shattering, sending the local sheep scurrying and dogs howling. So when everyone was finally calm, cozy and tucked in, finding an invitation in my inbox from St. Eve Kids and TwitterMom to write about my top 5 bedtime tips and tricks couldn't be better timed.

1. Find the "golden time". Every child has a point where they are tired but not overtired. This is the time to get him/her into bed. Put your munchkin to bed too early, and they are going to convince you they aren't tired, fight going down, and/or get out of bed; push her to the point of being overtired, and she just won't be able to calm down. My kids get silly, hyper, cranky and uncooperative if we miss the golden time.

Yes, it means that we have to make adjustments - if my husband is working late, we might do bathtime before dinner so that everyone can eat together, and still get through the rest of the routine before they are wound like 3-day clocks. When the kidlings were little, friends labeled me a "sleep nazi" because I was so strict with following their cues. However, I now have kids who know when they are tired. My 3 year old, held up at bedtime on Thanksgiving by Skype calls to family back home, loudly announced "I'm tired, and I'm going to bed", and marched herself upstairs.

2. Routine, routine, routine. Children are little creatures of habit; they find comfort in knowing what is going to happen. For us, it has always been the "three B's": bath, books, and bedtime. Sure, the routine has evolved as they have grown older, but it is still there. My daughter turns off her lights, turns on her nightlight, and after a snuggle in bed and a proper kiss, she goes right to sleep. My son, channeling the Waltons, has his litany of "Good night!", "Love You!", "See you in the morning!", "Mwuah", and "Sweet dreams" - which the put-to-bedder must echo back. And before the door is shut, we blow each other kisses, which we catch to "put in our pocket" in case we get lonely in the middle of the night.

3. Make their bed a place they want to be. I'll be the first to admit, I practially break out in hives just thinking about licensed products covering my kids rooms. However, when a fresh-out-of-her-crib Pea refused to sleep under her covers on the coldest of autumn nights (wearing a summer nightgown) despite any amount of begging or pleading, I threw aside my sense of interior design and bought her a soft Disney Princess comforter. Given the rule she could only keep it if she slept under her covers all night long, she happily complied. So what if my son has a guitar covered duvet paired with construction truck sheets - he is happy, and his bed is a cool big-boy spot.

4. Wear them out. Fresh air is great. An active kid is far more ready for bedtime than one sitting in front of the tv all day (assuming you are catching their golden time). My mother-in-law used to take my nephews to the hill behind her house and have them play "redcoats and patriots", chasing each other up and down the hill in their tricornered hats. On rainy days here (and we get a lot of them) we might put on our favorite music and see who can dance the silliest, hop on one foot the longest, or jump the highest. Its amazing what a short walk will do, too.

5. When all else fails, find a cheat. I'm all for tricking my kids at bedtime if they think something will help them sleep. (Remember, I'm a mean mom.) My favorite cheat comes from my own mother, who renamed my nephew's bottle of Johnson & Johnsons Soothing Vapor Rub "magic sleeping lotion" one night when he was congested and still awake long after bedtime. Not long after, he was asking for the magic sleeping lotion when he was having a hard time falling asleep. My mom handed me a tube one weekend when visiting - and "Jakey's magic sleeping lotion" worked its magic on my kids. Used on a one-off basis, it is a harmless placebo for a little one struggling at bedtime, and the familiar smell is associated with comfort.

And while I usually avoid TV at bedtime, if my 5yo is overstimulated from a birthday party or a playdate, I've found that a cuddle on the couch in a darkened (this is key) living room with a calm show like "Berenstein Bears" or "Little Bear" on the telly allows his little brain to slow down enough so he can go to sleep. (If you can tivo/dvr a few of these, they really become a special treat.)

I realize that all kids are different. Some kids can have a late night, or fall asleep in the car on the way home, and be just fine the next day - mine do not. Going to bed an hour past bedtime results in 2 or 3 days of overtiredness - my kids simply don't bounce back. Since it is something that I cannot control, I have to roll with it.

Because, lets face it, an easy bedtime for the kids means more time that I have to decompress on the sofa with a glass of wine in one hand and my book/remote control/laptop in the other. You can even use that free time to read more parenting tales at St. Eve Kids' www.dramau.net website. Heck, you can submit your own stories there for a chance to win a year's worth of St. Eve Kids sleepwear! (and I know my kids get excited when its time to put on their favorite jammies!)