Tips to Help Kids Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Have you ever tried to put your little ones to bed, knowing full well that they were worn out from the day’s activities, only to discover that they could not settle down to sleep?

Sleep is essential to children’s well-being, especially their physical and spiritual health!

But why, oh why, do children fight sleep so much?

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that school-age children get 9 to 11 hours of sleep each night and that younger children sleep even longer!

I’ve tried everything to help ensure that my children get a good night’s sleep– it’s especially hard when they have trouble winding down from the activities of the day.

Here are a few tried-and-true tips we can employ to help our children get the rest they so desperately need!

• Establish consistent schedules throughout the day that include regular bedtimes to help our children naturally wind down at the end of the day.

• Develop enjoyable bedtime routines that our children look forward to each evening. In addition to teaching them essential life skills such as how to bathe and brush their teeth, we also should include fun but calming activities such as listening to soothing music or reading a favorite book – preferably one that will help them feel loved and at peace!

• Create safe and comfortable environments that are relaxing and inviting to our children. For example, we can install night lights to calm frazzled nerves when they are afraid of the dark and provide plush animals when they need to be comforted by a bedtime buddy.

The most important way that we can help our children to feel safe and sound throughout the night, however, is to teach them to pray.

When our kids share their fears with us, when they tell us they’re afraid of the dark or that they’ve had a bad dream, we want them to know that even when we are not there, their Heavenly Father is always with them. We can teach them that whenever anyone – young or old – needs help, Father God is just a prayer away.

Here are a few promises from God’s Word that we share with our children to help them understand that even when they sleep, God watches over them, protects them, and keeps them safe!

6 Scriptures to Comfort Children to Sleep

• When you lie down,you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleepwill be sweet.
  – Proverbs 3:24

• I lie down and sleep; I wake again,because theLordsustains me. – Psalm 3:5

• In peaceI will lie down and sleep, for you alone,Lord, make me dwell in safety. – Psalm 4:8

• For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways... – Psalm 91:11

• My help comes from theLord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
  He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber;
  Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. – Psalm 121: 2-4

• TheLord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life. – Psalm 121: 7

Sharing and reflecting on these verses before bedtime helps our entire family sleep peacefully at night. I’m confident that they will help your family too!

We love to reinforce the lessons we are teaching through bedtime stories. Two storybooks that are perfect for calming young children’s spirits and expanding their knowledge of God are Snuggle Time Prayers and Snuggle Time Psalms. Both books are written by Glenys Nellist and filled with the charming animal illustrations of Cee Biscoe.

Each of these padded cover board books contains 15 bedtime prayers and 15 bedtime poems that are perfect for drawing our children closer to God as they drift into sleep!

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Your Turn

What is the best advice you can share for helping your children to fall asleep at night? Do you have a favorite verse that helps to calm your spirit when you have difficulty sleeping? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments – we’d love to hear from you!