Parents having issues getting their kids to sleep

Some people call it the witching hour when kids are exhausted, and you want them to go to bed but they won’t. Hard-pressed parents say they spend the equivalent of nearly nine days a year trying to get their little ones into bed and asleep.

In an attempt to prolong bedtime, children will conjure up an average of three excuses every evening, including saying they’re scared of the dark, sudden headaches/tummy aches, and needing the toilet. And there are often evenings when parents think the little ones are asleep – only to hear tell-tale thumps from upstairs saying otherwise.

The research, commissioned by comparethemarket.com, also found that it’s a good old-fashioned bedtime story which parents use to get their kids to sleep.  Almost half (43 per cent) read stories to their kids and around a third (29 per cent) will get creative and tell them stories instead of reading them.

Aston spoke to Lauren Peacock, child sleep specialist to discuss the research in further detail and was also on hand to offer advice on what’s best to get your child to sleep.