From Summer Nights to School Mornings: Helping Kids Get to Sleep Earlier
Yes, it’s back to school time again. After a summer of late bedtimes, sleepovers, vacations, and plenty of sleeping in, it’s time to shift back into earlier mornings. And that means earlier bedtimes. It can be a tough adjustment for your kids – and you – as they struggle to settle down and get to sleep earlier when their bodies still feel wide awake.
You probably have a tried-and-true routine you’ve honed with your kids for school nights. Maybe it’s an earlier dinnertime, homework, a little play, a warm bath or shower, bedtime stories, and then lights out. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?
But like you, simply lying down and closing their eyes doesn’t always do the trick. Not fast enough anyway. And like you, your kids don’t like to lie awake in bed either.
A little trick that might help as they snuggle in is some gentle music or soothing sounds designed specifically for relaxation and sleep. These sounds can signal the body and mind that it’s time to wind down and hopefully ease into a restful night’s sleep.
We’re big proponents of soothing sounds and binaural beats soundtracks to help grownups get to sleep, so it only makes sense that your little ones, or even your not-so-little ones can benefit from having similar sounds sooth them off to sleep.
You can play them softly in the background as part of their bedtime routine or turn them on just as you turn out their light. We’ve included a couple of good ones below to get you started.
Try these or others you find to help your kids get to sleep earlier and easier.
Sweet dreams!
Here’s some more soundtracks you might find helpful: