What Is Bedtime Fading and How to Do It
Bedtime fading is a popular sleep technique used to help children adjust to their desired bedtime. It relies on decreasing the amount of activity used to help a child drift off to sleep such as reading or watching a movie, while padding the time that a child spends in their bedroom until the desired bedtime is reached. The idea is that gradually reducing activity while also increasing the amount of time spent in the bedroom helps to develop an association between the bedroom and sleep.
While bedtime fading is considered to be one of the most effective sleep strategies for young children, it often meets with difficulty if the parent has to adjust their own daily routine to make it work. Creating a peaceful atmosphere and making the bedroom a consistent, peaceful place are also important in reinforcing the connection between the bedroom and sleep.
Bedtime fading can be beneficial in helping your child adjust to their sleep needs, but it is important to understand how to use it correctly in order to ensure successful results.
Creating a Consistent Bedtime Routine
Having a consistent bedtime routine is an important part of bedtime fading. Creating a consistent routine helps establish a predictable sequence of events that your child can follow each and every night. This helps to create an association between the activities and behaviors of the routine and the name of the next step, such as “Now it’s time for brushing your teeth.”
The bedtime routine should be no more than 20 minutes and should focus on calming activities. This can include things like reading together, taking a bath, playing quiet music, or doing a special relaxation activity that your child enjoys. It should end with saying goodnight and providing your child with a physical reminder that it’s time to sleep, such as a stuffed animal or pillow.
Establishing a Bedtime Schedule
The next step is to establish a bedtime for your child. This should be a consistent time that your child can count on each and every night. Depending on your child’s age, the bedtime can range from 7-9pm. If your child is still having difficulty going to bed at the desired time, you can look into slowly shifting the bedtime by 15 minutes each week until the desired bedtime has been reached.
When a bedtime is established, parents should consistently enforce it by being consistent in the timing of the bedtime routine and how often they allow their child to stay up later than their bedtime. This consistency is key as it helps to create an association between the bedroom and sleep.
It is important to remember that bedtime fading isn’t done over night. It can take several weeks or even longer to see results. The goal is to stick with the routine and remain consistent as the changes won’t happen if the routine isn’t followed.
Creating a Peaceful and Calming Bedroom Environment
Creating a peaceful bedroom environment is also essential for bedtime fading. This means limiting loud noise, keeping the bedroom free from distractions such as TVs, phones, laptops, and other electronics. Keeping the room dark and free of lights from electronic devices is also important as the lack of light helps to signal to the body that it’s time for sleep. Additionally, if possible, it may be beneficial to remove toys or other items that could be stimulating before bedtime.
- Create a consistent bedtime routine
- Establish a consistent bedtime schedule
- Create a peaceful and calming bedroom environment
Conclusion
Bedtime fading is a popular sleep technique used to help children adjust to their desired bedtime. It relies on decreasing the amount of activity and increasing the amount of time spent in the bedroom to help children develop an association between their bedroom and sleep. To successfully utilize bedtime fading, emotions and behaviors need to remain consistent over time, otherwise the desired results won’t be seen.