Children need a good sleep routine. During sleep, their little brains are firing synapses paramount to mental development. In addition, a lack of decent rest causes moodiness, irritability, and behavioral problems. Setting your children up for success by establishing and enforcing a regular bedtime is an integral part of good parenting, and it isn’t as challenging as you may think.

Set the standard

Before dusk even falls, let your children know that bedtime is non-negotiable. They need to be mentally prepared for the fact that once bedtime rolls around, they’re out for the night. When they know it’s inevitable, they’re less likely to fuss about it when the time comes.

Don’t deviate from the plan

Children have ways of getting to you—whether it’s their puppy dog eyes or an out-and-out tantrum, they may try to get out of going to bed when you call lights-out. Once you’ve set their bedtime, you need to stand firm. If you give in, they’ll know it’s possible to change mom’s mind.

Wind-down before bedtime

If your children have been bouncing off the walls ten minutes before bedtime, they’re likely to be a ball of energy once they’re under the covers, too. If they’ve been crunching numbers and writing book reports, their brains will be functioning at warp speed, and it takes time to settle their thoughts down. Before bedtime, make sure that they’re in “laid-back” mode for at least an hour. Whether this includes cuddling on the couch and reading stories or watching a family-friendly movie, it’s important that they have time to relax before hitting the sheets.

Bedrooms are for sleeping

Many parents allow children to play in their bedrooms throughout the day. That’s fine, but you need to make sure that when bedtime comes, all of the distractions are absent from the room. If there are toys all over the floor, your children will be distracted by their allure and have a difficult time falling asleep. In addition, watching television in bed isn’t the best idea—studies have shown that TV interrupts important brain waves during sleep, so leaving it on can prevent a good night’s rest.

Some children can’t help but rebel at bedtime. They may beg for more time to play, become angry, or simply refuse to go to bed. When this happens, it’s often difficult for parents to stand firm—but that’s the best thing you can do. Explain calmly to your children that bedtime didn’t just sneak up on them—they know it’s set in stone. Let them know that this is not the time for negotiations, and if they continue this behavior rather than getting in bed, there will be serious consequences (depending on your parenting style, you’ll be able to determine the most effective corrective measures).

Once your children are in the know about the do’s and don’ts of their bedtime routine, things will inevitably run a lot more smoothly in your home. More rest for children leads to happier days all around, and eventually they’ll learn to appreciate your dedication to setting and enforcing standards.