Explore the Sleep with Kip series

Early morning waking can be exhausting for families. Some children seem programmed to wake up early and are full of energy – unlike Mum and Dad! This is a book to help you manage a child who keeps waking before 6 am. When you are ready to tackle early morning waking, please read this book with your child to help them appreciate what early waking does to you.

A great way to help progress is by using good rewards (stickers, stamps, etc.) if your child can stay in their room until 6 am. And make sure you are not ‘rewarding’ your child for waking up early by letting them watch TV or use a computer so that you can get more sleep. These activities can reinforce early morning waking, even if it seems like a good idea!

Regarding bedtime, fears or worries are widespread in children – especially children with a vivid imagination! There might be monsters in their bedroom, noises outside the window, or other concerns stopping them from sleeping. Learning to manage these fears and worries is helpful for children and their families.

This book is a fun way to help children worry less at the start of the night by focusing on the power of positive imagination. Parents can help children worry less by listening to them and gently reassuring them that many of their fears are not real – there are no monsters under the bed! But if your child has persistent worries, check out A Beach in the Bedroom, which can help older children use visual imagery and relaxation strategies to calm their fears at bedtime.

Many children find it hard to fall asleep independently at night’s start. Mum and Dad often need to be there with them. This might be okay at the beginning of the night, but if a child wakes up often overnight, it can quickly become exhausting for Mum and Dad. When this is happening, everyone can end up tired and grumpy!

This story helps the child with the evidence-based technique called Camping Out. It is a gentle way to help parents move out of their child’s bedroom – typically over 1-3 weeks – whilst encouraging them to fall asleep by themselves at the start of the night. This technique is especially suited to children who might be worried or anxious (as opposed to grumpy) if their parent tries to leave the bedroom at the start of the night.

Worry can be a big problem when sleeping, especially as children age. But relaxation techniques and visualisation can help take their minds off these worries. This story can help get them started as they imagine lying on the beach, with waves lapping the shore and a warm breeze passing over them.

This technique is best suited to children aged four years and up and best used at a time other than bedtime. We don’t want them getting worried about the technique working, which can happen if they start learning it at bedtime. Start perhaps on the floor of the bedroom in the afternoon. When this technique works, you’ll find children start to use it naturally before bedtime. Oh, and it’s best not to ask a child about their day just before bedtime. If things haven’t gone so well, this may upset them. Try talking about the day in the afternoon or at dinnertime.

Some children get in and out of bed multiple times before falling asleep. We call these ‘curtain calls”! They want to tell you something, they want a drink, they want to go to the toilet…the list can go on and on! If your child does this, this book is for you! It takes you and your child through an evidenced-based technique called the Bedtime Pass.

This technique helps to limit the number of times your child can come out of the room before bedtime and allows the child to choose what they want your help with at bedtime. Remember to reward them the next morning for properly using this method.