Also, make sure to have a night-light or a hallway light on if that's what needed. Again, this helps reduce the chance of your toddler calling out for you later on. It can be hard, but at this point don’t let your little one talk you into just one more story or a lengthy conversation - try to stick to your bedtime routine.Įnsuring that your child has her "lovey" -a security blanket or favorite toy that she can’t sleep without - as this helps prevent her from calling out to you for it later onĬhecking that the room temperature is cool but comfortable for sleep, and that your child is comfortable - for example, that he isn’t thirsty and doesn’t need to go to the toilet. Experts suggest this step should happen in his bedroom (or whatever room he is sleeping in) so that your toddler sees his room as a positive place where these shared moments happen, not a place he gets sent to for bed. Then, in the 20 or 30 minutes before bedtime, begin a set routine that might look something like this:ĭimming the lights and spending a little quiet time together reading, putting his favorite teddy to bed, or singing lullabies. No active games or running around, and avoid screen time. Keep things calm in the hour or so before bedtime. Toddlers crave routine and having a set time helps communicate that bedtime is bedtime regardless of what else may be going on. Doing the same things in the same order every night helps your child to wind down and gives notice that the time for sleep is coming.įor starters, set a bedtime and stick to it. Here's what to do and bear in mind as you begin sleep training:Įxperts agree that having a calming and consistent bedtime routine is a crucial part of sleep training. Though there are different techniques for sleep training your toddler, nearly all of them focus on a few general principles. To Sleep Train Your Toddler: Basic Guidelines Mandy Treeby, Chief Pediatric Sleep Consultant and co-founder of the Smart Sleep Coach, offers her top tips for sleep: Even if your child was sleeping well before, it’s not unusual for something to crop up that makes settling down for bed a challenge once again. Keep in mind that, as with other aspects of toddler behavior and development, there can be ups and downs with sleep training. Your toddler may be going through a period of separation anxiety and feeling unsure if Mommy or Daddy aren’t there. Your toddler’s growing imagination may mean she’s afraid of the dark, or she’s nervous about being left alone because she thinks there are monsters in the shadowsįeeling anxious. Having older siblings who are still up can be particularly frustrating and may make sleep training more difficult.Īn active imagination. All the excitement of toddlerhood may mean your child would prefer to be up playing with a new toy or having fun with the family. A new baby in the house, a move to a new home, switching beds or bedrooms, starting preschool - any of these can be upsetting to a young child, making it harder to relax at the end of the day, and end up disrupting his sleep routineįear of missing out. If your toddler used to be a good sleeper but now isn’t for some reason, consider whether there’s been a big change in his life. Here are just some of the reasons your toddler may be struggling:Ī change in environment or home life. Why Toddlers Can Struggle to Stay in Bed and Fall Asleepīefore launching into sleep training, it's helpful to understand why your toddler may be fighting bedtime and resisting going to sleep. You may need to experiment with a few different approaches, but by remaining calm and consistent you'll eventually be successful in sleep training your toddler. Sleep training is not one-size-fits-all, and one style of sleep training may work better for you and your little one than another. In other words, sleep training is a broad term for a process that aims to slowly reduce your involvement in your toddler settling down while in bed and falling asleep. Sleep training may also help your child learn to be able to fall back asleep by herself when she wakes in the night. During the toddler years, one of the chief goals of sleep training is to get your child to be able to self-soothe and fall asleep on his own without crying out for you and without getting out of bed to come and find you. Your child will typically need around 11 to 14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, which may include one or two naps of an hour or two.īut getting a toddler to peacefully doze off at night is easier said than done, especially if your child is struggling to fall asleep independently, or can't wind down after an exciting day of playtime. Sleep is crucial for your toddler’s healthy development.
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