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10 Ways to Make Bedtime the Best Time
Help Your Bedwetting Child Sleep a Little Sounder
By Kelly Burgess
Additional Strategies
In addition to those specific techniques, our experts recommend the following strategies as part of lifestyle change to be sure that the child's post-school, pre-bedtime home life is dedicated to avoiding stress and over-stimulation: - Look at your child's schedule. Corder says if he or she is in so many activities that they don't arrive home until late, consider cutting back so the child is home at least two hours before bedtime to have that unwinding time.
- Turn it off. Television, video games, computers and other electronics should be restricted at least two hours before bedtime. All of these activities can lead to over-stimulation and result in the child's inability to relax and get into a healthy sleep mode.
- Do not forbid fluids. Rather, restrict fluids after a certain time and watch what they drink during the day. Gold notes that most children don't get to drink much during the day because they are in school. Then, the first thing they often reach for when they get home is a soda. Encourage lots of water and non-carbonated/unsweetened beverages up until several hours before bedtime, then gradually cut back, allowing only water, and less and less of that as it gets closer to bedtime.
- Be sure and have a good nightlight for your child paths to the bathroom so it's not scary for them to get up and go.
- Help your child organize their bedroom and keep it that way. Corder says that children feel soothed when there's a place for everything and everything is in its place.
