Children have never been fans of bed time, when they have to shut their eyes to the wonders of the world for a few hours and could miss out on something important. However, you may be able to change this by getting your child a bed that they will love spending time in. You will soon reap the rewards of getting your child their very own castle shaped bed, so your little prince or princess can sleep safe in their own kingdom.

The important thing to remember when buying a novelty shaped bed, is the fun factor involved in it. It sounds odd, but you do not want to buy something that they will enjoy too much, as this could have the exact opposite effect you wish. Instead emphasise the good sleeping qualities associated with the theme you go for. Using the castle example again, create bed time stories for your child that include relaxing activities in the castle, not fighting dragons and climbing the walls, or your child will want to act the same. Talk about beautiful princesses needing beauty sleep and use examples like Sleeping Beauty, where the sleep really paid off for the princess. Do not overexcite the imagination of your child.

Of course, if you pay for a themed bed then you will want it to get its full use, but try and work around it in terms of activities. Do fun, active games in the ‘castle grounds’, so your child does not associate being in the bed with doing active things that will prevent them sleeping (after all, you can guarantee it will become their favourite game and they will want to play all night).

You want to create a good, relaxing atmosphere with the bed. Go for something in a typically supportive shape. A boat, a castle, a house and so on, all provide ‘shelter’. This sense of having their own little retreat from the rest of the world will make it more relaxing and encourage your child to settle down and feel protected within their bed, a vital thing for children. Having a novelty shaped bed also make sure that it is distinctly theirs and theirs alone. Children do not tend to love sharing or having the same things as others, so make their bedroom special by having their own cool shaped bed that they can be happy about.

Anything that gives a child the sense that it is distinctly their own, will provide happiness. Back this up with encouraging stories and relevant games, and you could help your child harbour and develop a budding interest of theirs. Reward them for taking an interest in motor cars or boats by giving them their own to sleep in, and encourage them to learn more from this- such as asking them where the ‘starboard’ or ‘port side’ is and giving them key facts. This will help intellectual growth and make sure your child sustains an interest in their bed, as well as help them sleep knowing they are safe and happy in their own little world where anything could happen.