School-age children need nine to 12 hours of sleep each night, but according to the University of Michigan Health System, they do not receive the necessary hours of sleep to be healthy. There are many reasons why children do not want to go to bed at night or take a nap during the day. The primary reason is the caregiver's lack of preparation of the child for bedtime and sleep.
Energy Level
The University of Michigan Health System recommends that children have a calm period before bedtime. Children who participate in high-energy activities, or who are engaged in play that requires quick thinking and rapid action, will not be interested in bedtime. When children are on an energy high, they simply do not feel tired. The KidsHealth website recommends a 30-minute quiet time prior to bed. This includes developing a bedtime routine of grooming, reading a book or singing soft lullabies.
Distractions
Toys and play items in the crib or on the bed may make for nice decorations, but they distract children from sleeping. Children may pull down the toys to play on the floor or entertain themselves with the toys in place of sleep. Toys left in the bed, particularly stuffed animals, create a safety hazard for babies under six months old, in addition to distracting children from sleeping.
Lighting
Lighting creates problems with kids and bedtime. When daylight savings time allows bedtime during daylight hours, children are not interested in sleeping. Blackout curtains are one way to create artificial darkness in the bedroom to avoid this problem. Children may also be afraid of a darkened bedroom or may have what the Eastern Virginia Medical School calls "sleep terrors" when waking up alarmed from a dead sleep, and they may fear bedtime for that reason. The medical school states that these events will decline with age and should not be cause for alarm. A dim source of light provides a soothing reference point for some children experiencing night terrors. Placing a nightlight or small child-size lamp on a desk or dresser supplies enough light to see items in the room but still allows darkness for sleeping.
Noise
Children do not like to go to bed when they think they will be missing something interesting. When parents or older children make noise, even if the noise is not in the sleeping room, kids feel neglected and will not sleep. The University of Michigan Health System recommends reducing the noise level or masking the sounds with a "white noise" machine to drown out sounds that interfere with sleep. These soothing sounds create an appearance that the rest of the family has also gone to bed, and the child no longer feels left out and will not avoid going to bed.
Bedding
Uncomfortable sleeping conditions mean kids will not want to go to bed. The beds should fit the child and the bedding should allow for easy movement. Tall children may require an extra-long bed to allow their feet to be supported during sleep. Toddlers sleeping in small cribs will not find comfortable sleep. Children, like adults, sleep better on a mattress that suits their sleep style.
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