Bedtime Battles

Clock time doesn’t dictate bedtime

Children don’t think in clock time.

This is a big cause of bedtime battles.

They are fully in tune with their body clock.

So instead of speaking to their mind, speak to their body in the language that controls their sleepiness: darkness.

Clock time doesn’t dictate bedtime—the light outside does.

The sun is going behind the horizon… time to light the candles and turn off the lights.

Bye bye, sun!

If the light is low, it’s so much easier to guide children to bedtime than if the overhead white light is on telling their bodies it is still noon!

How can your voice chanting a random number convince them their body is lying!? It can’t.

Speak to their body with dimness instead and you will have a much easier time.

This bedtime ease is all the more likely if you have brought them outside first thing this morning already to replenish their melatonin stores after the previous night’s sleep.

Let me know how it goes!

Also, yes, this also works for grownups. More support in the archive here: