Parenting

Best bedtime tricks

Sanity savers: Readers from our online community share their best tricks for getting their kids to bed.

By Today's Parent staff

Best bedtime tricks

Best bedtime tricks

Perchance to dream...

Having trouble getting your kids to go sleep? Our amazing online community shared what works for them. Here are their best tricks for getting their kids to bed.

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Thomas Perkins/iStockphoto

Bubbles

“A nice warm bubble bath and then snuggles with Mommy.”
Kelly Whytewood

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Svetlana Shapiro/iStockphoto

Routine

Routine and sometimes bribery.”
Rebecca Howat

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Dejan Ristovski/iStockphoto

Breastfeed

Breastfeeding, all the way.”
Anna Mushynski

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Christopher Futcher/iStockphoto

Rub

“My daughter, six, loves it when I rub her back if she is having a hard time falling asleep. My son, 10, likes it when I rub his head — something he has liked since he was an infant.”
Tracy Whitehead

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Mark Bowden/iStockphoto

Play

“Wear ’em out! Play like crazy outside.”
Carmen Pekkarinen

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Jason Lugo/iStockphoto

Accept

“She’s a routine baby and usually goes down before you can say ‘Twinkle, Twinkle.’ But, when she decides she isn’t going to sleep, it’s better for all of us if I just accept it. She gets her stubbornness from me.”
Brianne Zwambag

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Lisa Valder/iStockphoto

Eliminate

Eliminating the nap worked for us. We are also very consistent with our routine, even if we are somewhere else like a hotel or at Grandma’s.”
Chantal Saville

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Anna Karwowska/iStockphoto

Sing

“A wee dose of David Bowie, (either recorded or I sing) and nighty-night.”
Jono McGee

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Dejan Ristovski/iStockphoto

Warm

“When my twin boys were teething, I warmed up their blankets or Grobags in the dryer for a few minutes before covering them to go to sleep.”
Lori-Ann Halpenny

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: johavel/iStockphoto

Ritual

“We have found the biggest key to easy bedtime is routine. Tub, teeth, stories and bed.”
Sheldon Samantha Hann

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Catherine Yeulet/iStockphoto

Quiet

“Quiet playtime, dim lights, bath, massage, watch favourite kids’ show at the time, pray, sleep.”
Narie Ju Hong

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: Chris Bernard/iStockphoto

Lie down together

“We lie down with our boys until they fall asleep.”
Deanna Miller Paauwe

Best bedtime tricksPhoto: matka_Wariatka/iStockphoto

More sanity savers!

Best bedtime tricks
This article was originally published on Jan 21, 2013
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