Winning Bedtime Battles: How Bedtime Tickets Changed Our Nights
If bedtime in your house feels like a never-ending game of "just one more drink of water" or "I have to go potty!”… I get it. Trust me, we’ve been there. After countless nights of frustration and exhausted mornings, we finally found a bedtime solution that actually worked: Bedtime Tickets.
This simple system has been a game-changer in our home. Not only has it made bedtime smoother, but it’s also helped our kids feel empowered and rewarded for making good choices. Today, I’m sharing how we use Bedtime Tickets, how they work, and a few extra tips that helped us stick with it.
What Are Bedtime Tickets?
Bedtime Tickets are a fun and effective way to give your child a little bit of control over their bedtime routine, while still setting firm boundaries. The concept is simple:
Each night, your child receives a set number of Bedtime Tickets (we typically start with 2 or 3 tickets).
If they need to get out of bed for any reason (a sip of water, a quick hug, another trip to the bathroom), they can cash in a ticket.
But once the tickets are gone, they stay in bed for the rest of the night.
Here’s where it gets even better: If they don’t use all of their tickets, they can save them up for rewards. Think of it like a mini rewards system that encourages them to stay in bed!
You can create your own tickets or grab this premade set to download and print from the online shop.
Why It Works
Empowerment: Kids love feeling in control, and this system gives them a choice. They decide when it’s worth using a ticket.
Accountability: It teaches them to weigh their decisions and manage their tickets wisely.
Positive Reinforcement: When they save tickets for bigger rewards, it reinforces good bedtime habits.
How We Use Bedtime Tickets
Here’s how we set it up in our home:
Print the Tickets: I created printable Bedtime Tickets that you can grab from my online shop for instant download. You can print as many as you need! (Or simply create your own! They don't have to be fancy for it to work.)
Establish a Number: Start with 2-3 tickets per night. Adjust if needed based on your child’s age or bedtime habits.
Introduce Rewards: Decide on rewards that motivate your child. For example:
Be Consistent: Reinforce the rules every night, and celebrate when they succeed!
It's important that you customize the reward to things you know would incentivize them. Nobody knows your child better than you do. What's going to encourage them to save up those tickets to cash them in rather than getting out of bed for another drink or "potty" break?
Overtime, going right to sleep will become a natural habit and you can shift away from the bedtime tickets and maybe introduce a different reward system for something other than bedtime. However, you can continue doing it as long as you and/or your child needs!
Bonus: Pair It with a Sleep Light
To make bedtime even easier, we also use sleep lights for visual cues which helps when they don't yet know how to read clocks and to help with their confusion on the sun setting and rising at different times throughout the year.
Both of my girls have one- one has a Hatch Sleep Light with built-in sound machine and the other has an Amazon Echo Glow- Kids Light. These lights change colors to indicate when it’s bedtime and when it’s time to wake up. Both are operated through apps from my phone and can be adjusted for different schedules on weekdays vs weekends, during holiday breaks or vacations, etc.
To help our kids get excited about using the lights, we let them help us choose the colors when we first set them up. Here's how we use them:
Pink for Bedtime: When their light turns pink, it’s time to settle in and stay in bed.
Yellow for Wake Time: In the morning, the light switches to their chosen “wake-up” color. This is how they know "it's ok to get up now!".
If you’re interested, I’ve linked both lights here so you can check them out:
Hatch Sleep Light | Amazon Echo Glow - Kids Light
Tips for Success
Make it Fun: Let your child decorate their tickets or store them in a special container.
Be Flexible: It might take a few nights (or even a week or two) for your child to get the hang of it. Stay consistent, but adjust as needed.
Stay Positive: Celebrate the nights they stay in bed without using all their tickets. Praise and encouragement go a long way! Hold true to the rewards and celebrate even the smallest wins!
Stick to A Routine: Keep a consistent, regular bedtime routine for your child and simply add these in to the mix. For us it's pj's on, brush and braid hair, brush teeth, a quick final drink of water, then we read together for about 15 minutes before lights out for the night. Their colored lights are automatically on and their nightly tickets are kept on their nightstand for easy access if needed, but fortunately they're now typically turned back in each morning to build up for a reward.
Ready to Try It?
If bedtime has been a struggle in your home, the Bedtime Tickets system might be just the solution you’re looking for. You can grab the printable Bedtime Tickets in my online shop or create your own and start using them tonight!
Trust me, both you and your little one will be enjoying calmer, happier bedtimes in no time.
Got questions? I’d love to hear how it’s working for you! Connect with us on Instagram or Facebook- we’re in this together!
Happy sleeping!
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