4 Benefits Of Putting Your Kids To Bed Earlier

Although a lot of parents struggle with nighttime routines and getting their kids to settle down when it’s time to go to sleep, other parents hardly struggle at all. Their kids easily wind down and accept rest as a natural part of the day, heading to bed without fuss or resistance.

For many parents, the reason for this positive attitude towards bedtime is because they have an earlier bedtime. Here are some of the many benefits you can experience from putting your little ones to bed earlier rather than later.

More Time For Nighttime Rituals

The earlier that you put your kids to bed, the longer that you have to spend plenty of time completing a nighttime ritual. Nighttime rituals can be any combination of things that you think will help them settle into bed better. In addition, it helps teach them healthy habits which they can continue to practice for their entire life.

From brushing their teeth to practice good oral hygiene, to taking a bath and learning how to wash themselves. You and your child can come up with a personalized routine that works for your family’s specific needs.

Healthier Kids

Studies show that kids who go to sleep later have a higher risk for motor, language, and social deficits. Not getting enough sleep can also affect how well your child is able to pay attention in school the next morning.

They may be fussy and irritable which can affect all sorts of areas of their lives. Overall putting your little one to bed isn’t just physically healthier but also mentally and emotionally ideal.

Time For You To Decompress

At the end of a long day, it can be exhausting to deal with stretched out bedtime which takes hours. It’s much more beneficial for you as a parent to have time to decompress at the end of the day so that you can go to sleep feeling content and relaxed.

Whereas parents who are chasing their kids around at bedtime feeling like it will never end, tend to lay their heads on the pillow feeling frazzled which can carry on to the next day.

This can be made even worse if you already have issues with your sleep such as insomnia and/or sleep apnea. You want to be able to ensure your child is getting a good night’s rest just like you want to, but if they are causing havoc and not resting, then this will cause more stress which will make it harder to get to sleep for everyone.

If you do suffer with sleep issues that require you to find the best cpap mask for beards, for example, and the issue is exacerbated due to your child refusing to settle, then it is a good idea to try out an earlier bedtime to see if this can help them and potentially have a knock on effect with you.

Less Nighttime Wakings

Kids who are taught to go to bed drowsy but not asleep are given the valuable lesson of knowing how to ease themselves into sleep. Putting them to bed at an earlier time gives them the ability to lay in bed for a while and independently fall asleep in their beds without your assistance.

As a result, they’ll be less likely to scream for you in the middle of the night because they need help getting back to sleep. Instead, they’ll calmly close their eyes and drift back to sleep since you’ve given them the tools to do so.