How to Get a Five-Year-Old to Sleep

Let's take the mystery out of putting a child to bed. Remember that you are the parent. This means you are in charge; you set the rules, not your child. You can set the rules in a loving and nurturing fashion, but you must do it.

Things You'll Need

  • Child
  • Bed
  • Bedtime

Instructions

    • 1

      Establish a bedtime; stick to it.

    • 2

      Establish a bedtime routine. For instance an hour after dinner the child has her bath, followed by a period of quiet time with the family, then a story in bed, then lights out. Stick to your established routine these will be cues for your child to know it's time to wind down and get ready for sleep.

    • 3

      If you've been having difficulty in the past with getting your child to stay in bed, it may take more than a couple nights to get your child accustomed to the new order. The key here is to be consistent.

    • 4

      If your child gets up after lights out, take her back to bed without discussion, without wavering, kiss her goodnight and leave the room. She will soon understand that there is nothing more for her to do except stay in bed and go to sleep.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Start a Neighborhood Play Group
      Free, unstructured play is an essential part of a childs development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play encourages normal social, emotional and cognitive development, and fitting regular play time into your childs schedule is cruc
    • How to Teach a Child Initiative
      One of the most challenging jobs of a parent is convincing a child to do something he is adamant about not doing, such as chores or homework. In these instances, parents can begin to wonder how to get their child to take the initiative to be responsi
    • How to Handle Parenting Criticism
      Criticism of a persons parenting methods, even when the criticism is well intended and potentially helpful, can be difficult for some people to deal with. Parenting critics may be anyone from a childs teacher to another parent at the playground, but