| When it's time for kids to go to sleep, it's amazing how | | | | asleep at night. Even if kids are exhausted in the |
| creative they can become in trying to find ways to | | | | morning from not getting enough sleep the night |
| stay awake and out of their room. Now that the | | | | before, they can still be wound up by bedtime if they |
| beginning of the school year is right around the corner, | | | | haven't gotten any exercise that day. |
| it's always a challenge to push back the bedtime that | | | | It's not the best idea to do lots of exercise right before |
| has steadily crept up later and later during summer | | | | bed because it will have the opposite effect. However, |
| break. It may be difficult at first to get kids back on | | | | aerobic exercise like swimming or racket ball 4-5 hours |
| schedule, but with some creative strategies and a firm | | | | before bed can have them ready to hit the pillow by |
| resolve, kids will be going to bed without hassle by the | | | | the time bedtime arrives. Consider getting your kids |
| time school begins. | | | | involved in a local gym or youth center that has |
| Try a white noise machine: | | | | access to fun aerobic activities. Not only will they be |
| This is a truly amazing invention! Most kids want to | | | | more alert during school hours from more restful sleep, |
| stay awake at night because they don't want to miss | | | | they'll be getting fit at the same time. |
| out on what is going on in the house. Even when | | | | A nightly warm lavender bath: |
| they're in their rooms trying to relax, they can still hear | | | | Hot baths don't just seem relaxing; they really do have |
| the television and conversations in other parts of the | | | | a physiological effect on the body. The warm water |
| house. A white noise machine eliminates this problem | | | | slows the heart rate and relaxes the muscles, which is |
| by actually absorbing or masking household sounds. | | | | why you feel so relaxed and sleepy in a warm bath. |
| Though the sound emitted by a white noise machine is | | | | Adding natural lavender scent to a bath increases that |
| similar to a fan, it's actually made up of every sound | | | | feeling of relaxation, calms nervous tension, and |
| audible to the human ear. Thus, one individual sound or | | | | promotes sound sleep. |
| voice is "absorbed" by the white noise machine sound | | | | The number one way to eliminate the bedtime battle is |
| just as one voice in crowd is indistinguishable. In addition | | | | to establish a ritual and stick with it no matter what. |
| to absorbing the sound, the fan-like noise generated by | | | | Even though they may object at first, having a ritual is |
| the white noise machine is very comforting and | | | | comforting to both kids and adults. So whether you |
| relaxing. | | | | choose to use a white noise machine, to establish an |
| Lots and lots of exercise: | | | | exercise habit, to draw a warm fragrant bath, or all of |
| As every parent understands all too well, kids have an | | | | the above, make a commitment to stick to your plan |
| abundance of energy. If they don't expend that energy | | | | and you'll be surprised at how quickly things can turn |
| during the day, they are likely to have trouble falling | | | | around! |