Among the many responsibilities a parent has to adhere to, preparing your children for bed is perhaps the most vital duty – and if you’re raising a hyper child, then it’s perhaps the most challenging one, too.

You can’t blame them; their hyperactivity simply compels them to constantly move around, and refuse to rest. They have extra energy they can’t seem to control, leaving you either helpless or plain confused. How do you make them sleep on time, get ample rest, and wake up properly?

There is no one trick, but we’re happy to share some of the best practices you can adopt to help your child get the rest they deserve – and severely need:

Control Their Diet

Food is a major factor of a child’s behavioural habits; if they’re already dealing with hyperactivity problems, you should focus more acutely on what they’re eating, and when. Make sure they eat their main meals well before night, so that once its bedtime, they show little to no energetic protest, and fall asleep calmly. Furthermore, keep them away from sugary foods like sweets before bedtime, so that their energy levels don’t peak out of control when it’s time to sleep.

Distract Calmly

Hyperactive children might not agree to bedtime right away, demanding that they just can’t seem to fall asleep, no matter how hard they try. In such instances, it is a great practice to distract your child calmly.

Introduce calming, relaxing nighttime activities like reading a book, playing a quiet game, or simply talking about your favorite memories. These will help calm your child’s nerves without them even knowing, so that once they’re done, their eyes start to droop with new-found slumber.

Establish A Routine

No matter how much your child runs away from the thought of “bed-time”, maintaining a routine always suits any toddler. Having a fixed set of steps at fixed times before going to bed gives your child a sense of control, responsibility, and self-fulfilment; once your child begins to associate their bedtime routine with positive feelings, they will become more willing to follow it.

For this to work, consistency is key; routines are never established right away, but you can start by keeping fixed times for going to bed. Make sure to put simple steps in between, like brushing teeth, combing hair, reading a book, and eventually sleeping. There will be times when your child might not adhere to the schedule, and try their best to stray far away from the bed with tantrums or excuses, but you have to be defiant. Don’t give in, or argue constantly; let your child know that it’s part of the rules, and so they should listen. As long as you keep them stuck to the routine, then you’ll be good to go.


Calming down hyper children for sleep isn’t something only parents have to endure – in fact, practitioners in nurseries in Jumeirah Park also have to deal with that. Oakfield Early Learning Centre is one nursery that does this well by having fixed times for children to take naps in; this way, hyper children are given the habit to follow regular sleeping routines without any hassle for the parents.

Just like any parenting procedure, all you need is commitment to improve your children’s lifestyles for the better. Apart from a few bumps along the road, consistency will eventually make your hyper children more willing to sleep through sweet dreams.