Kids love to cuddle. And they also love to push those boundaries! Habits can seemingly be born overnight. And often, we are thrown off when our kiddos suddenly seem to need those cuddles in our bed overnight… but then we need our beds back!
“Help! My son used to sleep well in his own bed but then he got sick and would only sleep in bed with me. That was four months ago… and he’s still in our bed! Do we have any hope of getting our bed back?”
“We had a new baby six months ago. My 4-year-old daughter suddenly started waking in the night and crawling into bed with us. We were so tired that couldn’t handle the baby and attending to our preschooler that we just let her stay. How can we get her sleeping in her bed again?”
Children between the ages of three and five are just starting to learn self-regulation, reasoning and problem solving, and social boundaries. Reading to our children and creating social stories helps them to develop these skills and to start to fully comprehend the rules. Rules around sleep are not different – books can be one of the best tools to help get your bed back!
Here are the top 3 books to get your little one sleeping beautifully on their own:
Back to Bed, Ed by Sebastien Braun
Ed has no problem falling asleep in his own bed, but every night his parents find him in their bed. Ed’s parents come up with a plan of their own to help Ed stay in bed but Ed decides he wants to do things his way.
Giving your child ownership and a voice in the plan to help them stay in their own bed is a HUGE help! Creating a plan to stay in bed WITH your child is an excellent way to address these late-night visits (and get more sleep). Back to Bed, Ed is sure to help!
Devin & Evan Sleep From 8-7: Teaching Children the Importance of Sleep by Whitney Roban, PhD
Devin and Evan are identical twins. As is true with most twins, one is a great sleeper (Devin) and the other is not so great (Evan). This book amazingly teaches our littles to understand why sleep is important. Children don’t typically learn why sleep is important and this picture book helps them to understand. Brilliantly done and worth every penny!
Bedtime (Toddler Tools) by Elizabeth Verdick
Another great one to add to your list. In this book, children learn about routine and ways in which to calm themselves to prepare for a restful night’s sleep. A calming and reassuring book, Bedtime is helpful for those kiddos who need a little help calming down for the night.
