How To Get Your Dragon To Sleep

​…was the working title of my latest picture book before publisher extraordinaire Lisa Berryman came up with the much more pithy, child friendly and appealing Lights Out, Little Dragon! But it’s still a good question, isn’t it?

I love sleep! Sleeping in is one of my favourite things. Even though I love snuggling under the covers at bedtime, I still find it hard to go to bed in the first place – a bit like Little Dragon in my book! I don’t know about you, but when my children were little, getting them to go to sleep sometimes felt like wrangling dragons - which proved great inspiration!

My hope is that parents and children find Lights Out, Little Dragon! a cheeky and light-hearted bedtime read, with sneaky opportunities for readers to practice calming bedtime techniques. With the book's release, I’ve been interested to find out what other's find helpful to get little ones (and anyone) to sleep. The fabulous teacher librarian at Niagara Park Public School asked my author pen-pal* year one students what they might do to help get Little Dragon to sleep. They came up with some really clever insights that might help with the human ‘little dragons’ in your life. They recognised the signs of being over-tired, that I too, remember when my ‘little dragon’ was wound up before bedtime and I was desperate for her to nod off! Below are their suggestions - some that you might find helpful, and some imaginative solutions that might be best left to fantasy dragon land!

From Year One:

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​​*Lure him to his room with food.
*Sing a song/lullaby.
*Give him a mummy cuddle.
*Quiet music and a blanket.
*Make him comfortable.
*Put music on and play hide and seek.
*Cosy PJ’s.
*Shine stars on the roof.

Shine stars on the roof & cosy PJs

Over tired dragon needed a Mummy cuddle

*Give Dragon some hot milk.
*Watch TV until he falls asleep.
*Give him a snack before bed.
*Make sure he had dinner.
*Read him a bedtime story.
*Give him a comfy big/soft pillow.
*Give him a teddy/soft toy next to him.
*Tell him something exciting is happening tomorrow so he will go to sleep quicker.

​*Play a game until he’s sleepy.
*Give him a blanket.
*Use a night light.
*Make sure his door is closed after you say goodnight.
*Make his room warm.
*Run around until he gets tired.
*Be crazy until he falls asleep.
*Drag him to bed.

Night light, warm milk, teddy (and lullaby words)

Cosy bed, teddy, bedtime story

*Put sleeping pills in his food or a magic cookie.
*Put locks on the door.
*Punish him with going outside.
*Give him sleep potion/medicine or put it in his milk.
*Put a cage around the bed.
*Use fire bars and camera.
*Turn every light off and play scary sounds and then say ‘If you go to bed, the monsters will go away.’
*Give Dragon hot, hot glue so he would breathe fire and run out of energy.

Quiet music and a blanket

A snack before bed and story

Sleeping potion

Cage

My pen-pals also gave me some of their tricks for avoiding bedtime - but I won't give away their secrets here ;-)

Needing more suggestions?? Here are some ideas from an Instagram competition I ran to celebrate the release of Lights Out, Little Dragon!:

*Read a book.
*Use a heavy/weighted blanket.
*Put on white noise/calm sound.
*Counting little dragons!
*Play music in the dark.
*Sing sleepy songs/tell sleepy stories.
*Listen to a podcast/audiobook.

*Imagining a relaxing/happy place/ breathing
*Reading one loud and then one soft book.
*Sesame Street sleep music.
*Back rub/patting.
*Quiet talking to sooth.
*Prayer and hugs.
​​*Night time mediation like Headspace. Wriggle each body part and say goodnight to it, then deep breath in and out.

​Whatever way you and your little ones get to sleep, I wish you and them sweet dreams! 

*If you want to find out more about the fabulous author pen-pal project, go here.