Preschool aged children generally need between 10 - 12 hours of sleep each night. That might also include a short nap during the day. Even though school is out many parents still need to wake their children early in the morning to take them to daycare or summer caregivers.

When the kids are staying up later than normal that can mean less sleep and grumpier mornings. When preschoolers are over tired they can be irritable, cranky, and even act hyper during the day. It is important that even though the sun may still be shining you get your preschooler into bed and asleep early enough that they get enough sleep during the night.

Here are a few tips you can use to ease those summer bedtimes.

• Darken the bedroom to promote a nighttime environment. Darkening blinds, shades, or dark colored curtains can all be used to keep the sunlight out. A darker room is easier to sleep in and can help transition your preschooler into bedtime.
• Stick to the bedtime routine. It can seen easy to fall out the routine with more hours to play. However staying on track will help keep bedtime drama to a minimum. Warm baths, stories, or gentle back rubs are all effective at relaxing and soothing children into sleep. Be sure to stop any TV watching or video game playing at least an hour before bedtime as these have been shown to prevent sleep.
• Watch out for late night snacks. On hot summer evenings it can be hard to resist a cool treat, especially ones full of sugar and caffeine. Tempting as they may be just say no to snacks such as ice cream, soda, or other such treats. Stick with healthier options instead.

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