When it comes to children and bedtime, whether they are sleeping in a crib or bunk beds, getting them to go to their beds and then stay there can be a challenging part of a daily routine. Studies show that your child will benefit greatly from having a daily routine and having firm rules in place for when bedtime occurs is a must. There is a lot of great evidence that shows that rules actually make this an easier experience for many children, rather then challenging it. The key is consistency and by implementing these guidelines that you express and enforce, your child learns basics in self control, time management, and discipline. Although it can be a true challenge some times to begin, establishing a bedtime that is the same every night will create order in your home and in their lives.
To begin with, you need to establish a time that you will be consistent with. If the time is something that is earlier then what you currently do then one effective and non intrusive way to change this time is a method called fading. This is done by simply correcting the time that they typically go to bed fifteen minutes earlier then what you typically do for a few days. Once they have adjusted to this, then perform the task all over again, and continue until you reach the desired time. This can be done painlessly over the course of a week in most cases.
If you experience some resistance in getting your child to stay in their twin over twin bunk beds, or they complain about having to go to bed, simply try adding in some quiet time. This can be done by indicating to your child that approximately one hour before bedtime is time when things have to quiet down and you start to end your day. This is a great time for reading, or looking at books. Maybe they can be working on puzzles or other quiet activities that do not invite aggressive or overly active actions. There are a few activities that should be avoided if at all possible when you have a child that is challenged when trying to go to bed. This includes things like watching the television, playing video games, or even serious homework. The things that stimulate the brain, rather then relax it, should be avoided when you are trying to help a child establish a regular bedtime.
Trying to establish a good routine and healthy habits when it comes to sleeping for an uncooperative child can be a real challenge. You can unfortunately only take the same child back to their bunk beds so many times before you are ready to pull your hair out. Working to establish order, and ultimately consistency, is by far the key to conquering this problem.