How hanging photos of grandparents and ditching mirrors could be the secret to getting your kids to sleep
KIDS have had a challenging year so it’s no surprise their sleeping pattern may have been disrupted with the upheaval of daily life.
If you’ve been having sleepless nights trying to get your children to nod off with no luck, these unusual tips may just do the trick.
Teaming up with Bloom and Blossom, psychologist and sleep expert, Chireal Shallow, shared her ‘alternative’ guidance for sleep-deprived parents – starting with mirrors.
These are usually great tools to make rooms appear bigger and get more natural light in, but they can be disruptive for children.
Lots of children are afraid of monsters, and shadows, and surprisingly mirrors can help fuel their fear.
Chireal said: “Reflections in the night can also be very scary for younger children as their imagination goes wild.
Tips to get your kids to drift off
- Get rid of mirrors
- Put up photos of grandparents
- Read longer books
- Put something hypnotic on the ceiling
“Get rid of clothes and coats hanging on the back of doors and chairs too as these can look like frightening figures to children that wake up in the early hours.”
And while jungle and superhero-themed bedrooms are all the rage now, having some more personal decor could help kids drift off.
Chireal explained that having photos of grandparents on the wall can be beneficial, as children usually have warm feelings towards them.
Reflections in the night can also be very scary for younger children as their imagination goes wild
Chireal Shallow
She explained: “If your child is struggling to get to sleep, putting up pictures of family members they are fond of, such as grandparents, can be a huge help.
“This is because your children are likely to have warm feelings towards their Gran and Grandad for example, and this will help to soothe them and calm them down before bed.”
She added that it doesn’t have to be family members, as anyone important to your child will do.
Chireal added: “Of course, it doesn’t have to be a grandparent – it can be anyone in your family that your child feels close to and looks up to.
“Having pictures of people they are familiar with on the wall will definitely help them relax more than posters of their favourite musicians or film stars.”
Any parent trying to get their kid to sleep will know how important storytime is, but Chireal advised parents to avoid short stories and go for longer ones.
While it may seem counterintuitive if you’re trying to get them into bed, she noted that kids who are interested in the story will want to find out what happens the next day – making them eager for bedtime.
She added: “You want your bedtime stories to have longevity, and keep your child interested enough so that they want to continue reading it the following day to find out what happens next.
“That’s why I would always recommend longer reads with lots of chapters, that you can space out over a number of days or even weeks.
“Opt for longer books and split them out into 20-30 minute sessions each night.
“It takes anything from two to four weeks to establish a proper routine, so you want the books on your side.”
This year things are even harder, as children have been out of a school routine for so long
Christina Moss and Julia Yule
Parents can also employ visual aids to get their children feeling sleeping, with stars and constellations a top choice.
These can easily be put on the ceiling, and gives your child something to look at as they drift off.
Chireal said this can be almost “hypnotic”, writing: “We all know how relaxing gazing at the night sky can be, and there’s no reason why you can’t create something similar in your child’s bedroom.
“Investing in glow-in-the dark stars to stick on the roof above your child’s bed is a great way of creating this atmosphere, as the mesmerising – almost hypnotic – effect can help young children to nod off.”
Lastly, she advised parents to stick to a strict routine, even if it’s the weekend or another lockdown.
Christina Moss and Julia Yule, co-founders at Bloom and Blossom, said: “With five children between us, we know how daunting the post-summer bedtime routine can be for parents, and pardon the pun – it doesn’t just happen overnight.
“This year things are even harder, as children have been out of a school routine for so long. We’ll definitely be attempting some of these with our own children before bathtime and settling into a bedtime story.”
Most read in Fabulous
Plus this is what your sleeping position says about you… and it’s bad news if you’re a foetal fan.
Meanwhile this knackered dad shares tip which helps babies instantly fall asleep – and parents are raving about it after giving it a go.
And this mum-of-16 shares colour coding tips to speed up piles of laundry & reveals why she NEVER writes kids’ names in clothes.