So I have issued myself a bedtime challenge and now I am on a mission to restore bedtime in my home. Have you issued a similar bedtime challenge yourself?
I am calling my bedtime challenge the 84 Day Bedtime Challenge.
Why?
First, experts say it takes 66 days to form a new habit.
Second, I need to take into account my kids current bedtime and work backwards 15 minutes each night until I reach my goal. Since my children currently go to be at 12 midnight (okay, if I’m totally real, one of them was going to be at 2 a.m.- don’t ask) it is going to take me about 2-3 weeks to get them to our target bedtime and even more time to practice it since this bad habit has existed for so long.
Third, I don’t plan to tell my kids 84 days. I took the concept of a 21 Day Challenge and decided to break it up into 4 segments. You can make your challenge as long or as short as you like!
So in my 84 Day Bedtime Challenge, the first 21 days would focus on just getting us to the bedtime goal. My kids chose their reward for that and this is what we are currently working on. For the second 21 days, we will focus on keeping our bedtime goal and add in a new bedtime routine to make bedtime feel special (right now, I’m just trying to make it there!!). For the third 21 days, I will ask the children what they like or would like to add to our bedtime routine and do that. Finally, for the last 21 days we will maintain the new routines. My plan is to have a special reward for myself after we make it to the 84 Day mark (this will keep me motivated towards the goals as well).
Whew! I hope that made sense.
If you have decided to create a similar challenge for yourself, whether 21 days, 30 days, 60 days, 84 days, 90 days, etc. here are some tips to keep in mind.
First, Be Real
What is you kids current bedtime? Be real with yourself and be realistic with your goal. Don’t choose a goal just because everyone is doing it. Make it meaningful to yourself as to why that needs to be the bedtime goal. For me, having quiet time for myself has become critical for me as well as the health of my children.
Second, Create a Calendar
You can use a simple wall calendar. All you need to do is subtract 15 minutes from your current bedtime and put it on the calendar. Keep subtracting until you reach your goal. It may seem too small of a step but we want to keep it realistic and keepable. Remember to claim God’s promises to help you keep your goal!
Here is an example of the calendar:
Third, Have a Family Meeting
Talk to your kids about the importance of bedtime, share the goal and talk about rewards. Have them choose a reward for reaching the first goal.
Fourth, Prepare Your Schedule and Environment
I decided to do some research to see what might be some hindrances to my bedtime mission. I don’t want anything to foil my plan. It was in this research that I discovered there were several things that needed to be eliminated to make it conducive for my kids to fall asleep. For example, experts say blue light, t.v. etc. blocks the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone which is extremely sensitive to light. So we should remove all screen time devices at least an hour before bedtime and change our night lights to red night lights. According to WebMD, we should also make sure we have proper digestive time so dinner should be about 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
Another thing to consider is to make sure you are using up your kids energy throughout the day. Have them play outside, run around, get some of that energy out so that they are more prone to fall asleep. Build in time in your schedule for activity!
Finally, Get Started!
Start your bedtime challenge. Use your cell phone alarm clock or a timer to remind you of tasks that you might forget to do in preparation for bedtime. For example, you might need a reminder to start dinner so that the kids are not eating too late. I need a reminder to tell the kids when to get their bath so I’m not rushing them 10 minutes before bedtime into the shower and telling them to hurry up!
We are now into day 5 of our bedtime challenge and God has been sustaining us. The kids are excited about their rewards and are getting in the bed now with no complaints. We are now getting in the bed at 10:45 p.m. which is sooo much better than 12 midnight or 2 a.m.. All I have to say is that Matthew 19:26 is real!
“With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
Thank you God for the strides we have made so far! I pray that you too may find rest for your soul!