After a long week at work, few things feel as good as finally getting to sleep in late when the weekend hits – but for parents, that joy is all too often robbed by a who seems unable to sleep past sunrise. Trying to get a child to sleep in can be surprisingly difficult, but there are ways. At 5 Little Monkeys, we've worked to create one of the best kids mattresses on the market, but we strive to be a resource on every aspect of children's sleep. And if you're trying to figure out how to convince your little ball of sunshine to stay dark for a few more hours on the weekends, we can help.

Tips for Getting a Child to Sleep In

First thing's first: if you want your child to sleep in later, you'll need to make sure the problem isn't one of sleep scheduling. All too often, parents assume their little one is popping up at the crack of dawn out of sheer insubordinate, when in reality they've simply slept all they can. This is especially common once kids hit the preschool age: at this age, they only need 11 hours of sleep per day. If they take an hour nap during the day, that leaves 10 hours at night – so if their bedtime is 7 pm, it makes perfect sense that they'd be up and at 'em by 5 am.

So the first step is always making sure that their sleep schedule is set up to allow them to sleep late enough on the weekend. But if that's taken care of, it may be a problem of self-soothing. Some kids aren't able to comfort themselves and go back to sleep if they wake up, and if that's the case, they'll need your help for a while. In these instances, you'll need to get up with them and walk them back to bed, comfort them, and tuck them in for another round of shut-eye. Eventually, they'll learn to get comfortable with falling back to sleep and be able to do it themselves.

Order Our Kids Mattress Online

Getting a child to sleep in late can be a challenge, but it is doable. But don't forget that the quality of your child's mattress plays a role here, as well! A high-quality children's mattress is vital to fostering healthy sleep for your little one, and thankfully, we can help with that. Experience the difference that a great children's mattress can make and try our kids bed today. We can't wait to help you and your child experience the power of healthy, restful sleep!