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Home › Articles › Health Issues › Nighty Night Without a Fight

Nighty Night Without a Fight

Developing Healthy Bedtime Routines for Toddlers

By April E. Clark

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A child of the '80s, Susan Jacobs would always get tired when she heard the theme to Bob Newhart or MASH. To this day, those old songs make the 29-year-old Illinois native want to head to bed.

"My mind associates those songs with sleep time because those shows came on when I was brushing my teeth to get ready to go to bed," Jacobs says. "That kind of routine is very comforting. Our bodies and minds connect the most with ritual, habit or pattern."

In hopes of helping parents better understand the importance of positive bedtime habits like those Jacobs developed, the educational Aquafresh, Books then Covers (ABC) campaign was launched in April nationwide. The campaign is sparked by a survey of parents that found children consider brushing their teeth as one of their least favorite bedtime routines. Receiving nighttime hugs and kisses and reading books were the most popular bedtime habits.

"While the majority of parents say their kids have a regular bedtime routine, many parents who come into my practice still struggle to find the right formula for a fun, healthy, tear-free bedtime," says Dr. Laura Jana, a pediatrician, parenting expert and mother of three. "What works best depends on the individual child so I always tell parents to start with the basics – such as establishing a consistent routine so that kids accept when it's time to brush, read and turn off the lights."

Making Bedtime Positive
The survey also found that parents consider bedtime a chore, and that it takes an average of 36 minutes to send kids to bed. To help smooth the bedtime process, Dr. Jana suggests helping kids develop consistent bedtime habits, such as brushing teeth and reading books, and sleep approximately 11 to 12 hours per night. This is especially important as your toddler grows into the preschool and elementary years.

Dr. Jana also says parents should help make bedtime a positive experience – most importantly not a chore – and that brushing every night should be standard procedure. "Many parents still have to haggle, struggle and, in some cases, bribe their children to brush their teeth," she says. "Bargaining with your child is not a healthy strategy for bedtime as they will quickly learn that bedtime is in some way negotiable. It's important to be a close partner with your children during their bedtime routine, and the more fun you can make brushing, the more kids may want to do it properly and without complaints."


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