I have been pretty fortunate when it comes to the children and sleep. For the most part each one of them have been solid sleepers. Yes most days are smooth sailing but I do run into days where the children struggle a bit. I think we can all agree that children becomes thirsty philosophers at bedtime. But even with the challenges I always believed in the importance in getting a good nights sleep. That is why from the very beginning I have worked on creating healthy sleep habits for the children. It can all be a bit of trial and error when it comes to finding the right habits that work for my family. I have also noticed that I am constantly changing “rules” within these habits to accommodate the age of the child. The girls have had a great system in place now for years when it comes to their sleeping habits. Finnegan we are still molding into becoming the best sleeper he can be. I think with maintaining a few guidelines this helps immensely when teaching healthy sleep habits.
Stick to a bedtime routine
I can not stress enough the importance of having a routine for each one of your children. With the girls being older, they can pretty much now get everything in order themselves for bedtime. With Finnegan we have a pretty good routine right now. By 6:30pm if a bath is needed (I do not give my kids a bath every day, sorry not sorry) he will go in for a bath. A little play time and a fun little struggle in getting him clean and he is out by 7pm. Lotion, a clean diaper, and usually his favorite PJ Mask pajamas and he is off to brush his teeth. This kid will not let go of his toothbrush. If he could he would have that hanging out of his mouth all day long. After that he does get a sippy. We have not cut out the bedtime feeding quite yet. Snuggles and love from all of us and he is off to bed. Routine to so important because it teaches him structure and gives him a sense of security.
Have an early bedtime
I do not know if the early bedtime is more for them or for me. I mean all day with them wears me out. But with two early risers, it is so important to make sure they are getting enough sleep every single day. So all the children go to bed at 7:30pm. This ensures that each one of them, especially Finnegan, gets the most out of their night in regards to sleep. At Finnegan’s age he should be sleeping 10-12 hours while the girls should be sleeping 9-12 hours. So giving them an early bedtime is vital in promoting healthy habits and giving them the best chance at not being so crabby the next day!
Use a Suzy Snooze
I was excited to try this with Finnegan The Suzy Snooze is three products in one: A smart nightlight, a baby monitor, and a sleep trainer. The nightlight and music feature are so important to me and creating healthy sleep habits. The colored light emulates the light of an evening sunset which promotes relaxation and sleepiness. The music is comforting and soft which is so effective in getting Finnegan to sleep. It is a beautiful sound so it is even enjoyable for me to hear through the monitor. While I did not need a baby monitor I love how this is an option. I can bring just one item with me when we travel. I uploaded the Bleep Bleeps app and can listen to him using my phone. This is extremely convenient and a great feature. In the app I can also change the wake up time and the amount of time the music plays.
The biggest appeal is the sleep trainer. He is following in his sister’s footsteps and waking up extremely early. I just would love to wake up early enough to have like 20 minutes alone with my coffee! The Suzy Snooze helps in training Finnegan when the right time to get up is. The light counts down to the time I choose for Finnegan and once that time arrives, Suzy’s hat gently pops up. This will not only help now in keeping him quiet longer but also will help in the future when he figures out how to get out of bed!
These are just a few tips on how to start establishing healthy sleeping habits with your child or children. Remember to focus on your family and what works best for you!
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