Over the last several weeks, I have noticed that my youngest son doesn’t like to go to bed at night. I am not sure if he is scared of the dark, terrified to be alone, dealing with separation anxiety, if he is just going through a phase where he wants to be independent, or he is afraid of “monsters” hiding under his bed or in his closet. Every night we go through the same exact routine, my youngest son will throw a fit and he will tell me that he doesn’t want to go to bed. Each night we give him the prep talk and explain to him that he has to go to bed. As a toddler, he doesn’t understand why it is important to get enough sleep. In fact, toddlers have a one track mind and they are afraid that they are going to miss something while they are sleeping.
Disclosure: I received a bottle of Monster Defense Spray in exchange for an honest review. The opinions reflected in this post are 100% my own and I wouldn’t recommend products that I didn’t like.
Here is a photo of my youngest son when I put him in his crib at bedtime. I hope he doesn’t mind having this photo on my blog when he is a bit older. Hehehe
I decided to give Monster Brave MD-80 spray a try and see if it would help go to sleep on his own. I handed the spray to him and his face immediately turned into a smile. I sprayed the Brave spray in his room and told him that the spray would take all of his fears away. I didn’t want to mention the word “monsters” to him because I didn’t want to scare him. He loves watching Monster’s University and I don’t want to frighten him.
Here is a photo of my son holding the Monster Brave MD-80 spray.
As a mom, I don’t like exposing my children to a bunch of harmful chemicals. I love that this spray is made with natural ingredients. When I sprayed it in his room, it made his room smell good but it wasn’t an overwhelming like you often get when you spray air freshener. This spray smells similar to warm waffles.
Children can have a wild imagination especially if they have seen movies like Monster’s Inc or Monster’s University. Their creative imagination can keep them up all night long, preventing them from getting an adequate amount of sleep needed for proper growth and development.
Establish A Bed Time Routine
If you don’t have a bedtime routine set up for your child, now would be a perfect time to implement a bed time routine.
- Set a Routine Bedtime – Put your child to sleep at the same time each night. This will help set your child’s natural body clock. Most children thrive on set schedules especially when it comes to bed time. Create a natural and consistent pattern for your child.
- Have a Bath Time Schedule – Give your child a warm bath and allow them time to play.
- Get Your Child Dressed for Bed – Put your child in jammies so that they are comfortable.
- Brush Your Child’s Teeth Before Putting Them to Bed – If you brush your child’s teeth too early, you might end up brushing them several times before your child ends up in bed. Instead, brush your child’s teeth a few minutes before their set bedtime.
- Read a Bed Time Story – If you plan on reading your child a bed time story, it is best to do this before their scheduled bed time. Story time is a great way to wind down and spend one on one time with your child but you want it to be low key.
- Avoid Giving Your Child Drinks or Bottles – A bottle that is filled with milk, juice, or formula shouldn’t be given to your child in bed if at all possible. If your child falls asleep with a bottle in their mouth they are at risk for getting cavities because the sugar pools on the teeth. Plus, if you brushed your child’s teeth before bedtime, giving your child anything other than water defeats the purpose.
- Give Your Child a Lovey or Stuffed Animal – Children often find comfort in sleeping with their favorite security object, security blanket, or stuffed animal. Offer your child their favorite item before you put them to bed.
- Keep Goodbye’s Simple – Give your child a kiss, hug, and tell them goodnight. Your child is smart and will continue to bargain with you if you let them. Once you have told them goodnight, it is best to leave the room. If you don’t believe in the cry it out method, this might be hard for you (of course this subject is for another post at another time). Once you leave your child will likely fuss for a few minutes or even call you back to their room. Try to avoid going back to their room unless they have been crying for a few minutes with no end in sight. Repeat the process.
Monster Defense is a line of products intended to help cure children’s fear. Monster Defense provides security to children with fear as well as provides parents an easy and fun solution to getting rid of monsters. If your child has a bed time fear or has monsters in their bed room, get your child their own bottle of Monster Defense MD-80 Spray. I am excited Monster Defense has a book coming out soon and can’t wait to read it. For more information about Monster Defense visit their website or connect with Monster Defense on Twitter and Facebook.
To get weekly updates to Uplifting Families, please subscribe to my newsletter or join in the conversation with me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and G+.
Does your child have any bedtime fears?
