One of the most common and frustrating parenting tasks is to help your kids learn to sleep independently and sleep well. There are dozens of books on how to sleep train your baby, but what about older kids who are constantly getting out of bed for a glass of water, a band-aid, one last kiss, or because they are scared?
What to Do When You Dread Your Bed by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D., is a great book that I used in my own home several years ago with success and I continue to recommend to clients and friends today. It uses cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help kids learn how to sleep independently without getting out of bed repeatedly.
Not only is this book effective, but it’s actually fun. The book begins by teaching the kids how to do several magic tricks and then compares the magic tricks to tricks on how to get a good night’s sleep. Then it helps the parents set up a token economy to reinforce the behavior of staying in bed. Finally, it teaches the kids some mindfulness and relaxation techniques to help them drift off to dreamland.
The cover of the book states that the target age range is 6-12, but I have seen it work for kids younger than 6, probably down to age 3 or 4, particularly if the younger child is working alongside an older child. On the other hand, while the book is targeted for children, the techniques can work for anyone and a teenager may find some of the information useful, particularly if the family is working together to improve sleep habits.
There are twelve short chapters which are meant to be worked through slowly. The book is really meant for parents and children to read together. The kids will likely be tempted to keep reading more chapters, but it is best to read one chapter at a time, stop, practice, and apply before moving on.
I would actually recommend that you read the chapter ahead of time before reading it together with your child so that you can figure out how the tricks work in advance. Your kid will probably be excited about it and you don’t want to lose the momentum of enthusiasm with a trick that flops due to poor planning or not having the correct supplies on hand.
There are several other books in the “What to Do” series that deal with other issues such as anxiety, perfectionism, etc., which I may feature at a later date but this one so far is my favorite. If you are looking to begin good sleep habits with your family, this might be the book for you!
