Explore the Sleep with Kip books
Pick Your Own Nose
A common problem children can have is being unable to fall asleep by themselves. Most times, they want Mum and Dad or someone else to stay in the room. Other times, they want another thing like a dummy (pacifier) that keeps falling out overnight that parents have to get up to replace.
This story is all about empowering your child to become independent and to learn to go to sleep by themselves at the start of the night! If they can do this, they will start to go back to sleep on their own after they naturally wake up overnight.
Another story to help is Has Dad joined the Circus? which is a fun way of talking about the Camping Out sleep technique. This is a gentle technique that allows parents to slowly remove themselves from their child’s bedroom so that their child can learn to fall asleep by themselves at the start of the night and, eventually, any time they wake up.
Slug Dad and Monster Mum
Early morning waking can be exhausting for families. Some children just seem programmed to wake up early and are fullof energy – not like Mum and Dad! This is a book to help you manage a child who keeps waking before 6am.
When you are ready to tackle early morning waking, read this book with your child to help them appreciate what early waking does to you. A great way to help progress is using good rewards (stickers, stamps, etc) if your child can stay in their room until at least 6am.
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 at the time!
Marshmallow Puffins at the window
When it comes to bedtime, fears or worries are very common in children – especially children with a vivid imagination! There might be monsters in their bedroom, noises outside the window, or other worries that stop them getting to sleep. Learning to manage these fears and worries is really 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 also worry less by listening to their worries and then gently reassuring them that many of their worries 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 worries at bedtime.
Has dad joined the circus?
Lots of children find it hard to fall asleep at the start of the night on their own. Mum and Dad often need to be there with them. This might be okay at the start of the night but if a child wakes up many times 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 their child 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.
A Beach in the Bedroom
Worry can be a big problem when it comes to getting to sleep. Especially as children get older. But relaxation techniques and visualisation can help take their minds off these worries. This story can help get them started as they imagine they are lying on the beach, with the sound of waves lapping the shore and a warm breeze passing over them.
This is a technique best suited to children aged four years and up, and best used at a time other than bedtime to start with. 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 dinner time.
The Old Bedtime Pass Puncher
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 make the choice about what they really want your help with at bedtime. Remember to reward them the next morning for properly using this method.
