If children sleep for a different number of hours each night, are reluctant to get out of bed in the morning, seem moody or crabby in the morning, or require a nap within a couple of hours of waking, they probably are not getting enough sleep each night. In this instance, parents should try to adjust their children's bedtimes so that their children go to bed earlier, and thus get more sleep. Changing Bedtime Parents can try putting their children to bed ten minutes earlier each night until they are putting them to bed an hour or so earlier than before. Parents will probably have to adjust mealtimes and naptimes, too. The key to changing bedtime is to do it gradually.
Consistency is important.
After the bedtime has been adjusted, it is important that children go to bed at the same time every night. Parents should develop a bedtime ritual that includes three or four quiet activities such as taking a bath, having a light snack, and reading a story. These bedtime activities should be performed every night. Parents should continue to monitor their children to determine if their children are getting enough sleep with the adjusted bedtime. If not, parents can use the same method to adjust the bedtime some more.