Parent to Parent: Sleep Help

WSVN -- Four-year-old Logan used to hate to go to bed.

Dana Nordby Monti: "He would fight us and didn't want to go to bed, and would think of any excuse not to go to bed."

Two-year-old Jackson woke up too early, then their mom Dana found a little helper, The Good Nite Lite. If the moon is up it's time for bed. When the sun lights up, it's time to rise and shine. Parents program the lite themselves.

Dana Nordby Monti: "It has helped us so much get them on a good sleep schedule and it's helped them too because they know what to expect."

Doctors say behavior modification devices like The Good Nite Lite can help teach good sleep habits.

DR. JUAN MARTINEZ: "I think what it really offers is a visual cue for kids. If you can transfer that visual cue and get them used to looking at a simple device that tells you whether it's time to wake up or time to sleep then that's certainly helpful."

Parents also need to establish a regular bedtime routine like story time or reading set a bedtime, and stick to it and above all, be consistent.

DR. JUAN MARTINEZ: "You have to work hard to make your kids aware of the fact that their bed is a place to sleep and staying in their bed is important."

These days sleep time is a good time for the Monti family.

Dana Nordby Monti: "It's been much better and much more pleasant at bedtime. Much more pleasant in the morning getting up."

And that means a good day for everyone.