You've been reading fairy tales for two hours, singing lullabies and promising "the last five minutes", and your child is still jumping on the bed?
It's all about the rituals you're probably ignoring.
Start by reviewing your evening. An hour before bed, turn off all screens—blue light from phones interferes with melatonin production.
Instead of cartoons, turn on “sleepy” sounds: the sound of the ocean, the crackling of a fire, or audio fairy tales with a monotonous voice. Then create a “chain of actions”: warm bath → pajamas → glass of milk → brushing teeth → two pages of a book.
Repeat this sequence every day, and your child's brain will automatically begin to tune in to sleep. If he resists, use a "secret agent."
Buy a toy night light that "guards dreams" and tell him it won't go off until he closes his eyes. Or get a "sleep clock" - a regular clock with a sticker showing bedtime.
Explain: "When the big hand reaches the cat, all the children in the world will already be asleep!"
And if the child is still capricious, offer a “sports” exercise: “Who can lie with their eyes closed longer?” Pretend to fall asleep, and they will follow your example.
Author: Valeria Kisternaya