It is no secret that sleep has not been Aiden's strong point since... well, ever. As a baby he slept well, just not usually when we wanted him too. Which was fine. We found very quickly that our style of parenting was to led Aiden show us his needs as an infant. We tried sleep training for one night and it just didn't sit well with us. Every kid is different, and there is no one right answer.
We kind of assumed that by age five we would be more settled into a nighttime routine. However, any short periods of success we have had have always quickly given way to the same old night owl tendencies. I guess that is one reason it is good that we are homeschooling... no need to be up and out of the house early in the morning! Yet Matt and I still wish we could have a little more time to ourselves in the evening. So, the quest for balance in the area of sleep continues.
One thing that used to be helpful for bedtime was our humidifier. We have gone through 2 since Aiden was born, and by the end of last winter that second one had been at the end of it's lifespan as well. With the humidity here in the summer you can't run one anyhow, so I hadn't even considered what we would do this year until Influenster offered to send us the #VicksSweetDreams VoxBox. They provided us with the Vicks Sweet Dreams Cool Mist Humidifier free of charge for us to test and provide feedback.
Here is the honest review I shared with them:
I received the #VicksSweetDreams voxbox and am very pleased with it! This is a fantastic product! It is bigger than I expected, and I wish that the spout on the top could be turned to control the direction of the mist. However, neither of those factors would deter me from purchasing this product for my home. The unit is very quiet, and the projections of animals, aquarium scenes and stars are a big hit with my 5-year-old. I love that you are able to add the scent pads when needed. It gets very dry in the winter months where we live, and a good humidifier is a must! I would recommend this to my friends and family without hesitation!
I should also mention that bedtime has gone smoother each night since we set it up. Now maybe this is because it is new, but I am hopeful that it is a more lasting effect! Aiden enjoys helping us get it set up before bed, and then he chooses the scene for the night from the three options. He enjoys pretending that they are his dreams projected up on the ceiling, and I think that glow really helps him settle down. The Sweet Dreams humidifier is very quiet, but there is still a gentle white noise to it that is soothing. He also regularly suffers from sinus issues, so the moisture is important for us during dry Nebraska winters.
What are your best tips for making bedtime a peaceful time for both kids and parents?
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My daughter, who is 10, is a bit of a night owl. She used to wander around the house and let everyone know (by waking them up) that she in fact, was not sleepy. She did this to the point where we were all pretty fed up. We have always stuck to a strict 7pm bedtime for all kids. Now that Olivia is older, she reads in her room until 8 and then it's lights out. We finally had to tell her that unless there is a fire or she needs to use the restroom, she cannot come out of her room. Play quietly or read, but it's bed time for the rest of us. And she actually did really well. Even during the summer I am strict on bedtime because they need just as much sleep then as they would during the school year. :)
ReplyDeleteMy oldest has always been the hardest one when it came to sleeping. He co-slept with us a really long time because he refused to sleep in his crib and I couldn't take it anymore. He's now 6, and mostly sleeps in his own room, but will on occasion still wander in. Luckily, my twins stay put in their own beds. Although, I have to keep their door shut ;)
ReplyDeleteImpressive and powerful suggestion by the author of this blog are really helpful to me. Cool Mist Humidifier For Baby
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