Transitioning to Bedtime
August 25, 2021
As a provider, families may come to you with concerns about their child’s sleep. Caregivers may notice that children become upset when it’s time to go to bed. Meltdowns are totally normal, and it’s very common around transitions like bedtime. Here are a few suggestions you can offer to families to make sleep transitions easier:
- Have a consistent schedule – Create a predictable routine that happens around the same time and in the same way. It’s easier for children to control their behavior when they know what’s coming next.
- Give the child a sense of control over transitions – You can suggest families make a chart together with the different steps, like brush teeth, put on PJs, read two books, get in bed, lights out.
- Ask for one behavior at a time – If you ask for one behavior at a time, you can break a task down into simple steps. Caregivers can say, “Please brush your teeth. After that’s done, it will be time for bed. Time to put on your pajamas, so we have time to read!”