Toddler Taming – Sleep Tips for Your Little Ones

Toddler Taming – Sleep Tips for Your Little Ones

The article below is by SleepyPeople. Our toddler is not a great sleeper and never has been but we’re trying really hard to get her to sleep through the night in her own cot now as in a few months’ time we’ll have another baby and we can’t have two children that don’t sleep at the same time. I’m always interested in reading advice on how to help your children to sleep better and here are some tips from the SleepyPeople blog.

Bedtime for toddlers can be a testing time for your patience. Your little one will be at the stage where they are learning to test boundaries and so when mummy and daddy decide it is time for bed your little one might be thinking otherwise. If you haven’t yet established a sleep routine for your little one, it isn’t too late. Believe it or not toddlers actually like routines. In their world, being able to predict what’s going to happen next makes them feel secure. So, if over a couple of days you build a sleep routine that’s fun, you’ll soon have a toddler who’s a willing participant in the bedtime routine.

Decide what you’re going to do beforehand

Start by thinking about what you’d like the bedtime routine to be before you try and establish it. Something along the lines of a bath, brush teeth then put pyjamas on. Follow this with a story or nursery rhymes in bed. For most toddlers this is a fun and practical bedtime routine.

Remember who’s in charge

This is important if you want to establish a bedtime routine of your choice. Giving your little one too many options won’t create a routine, but instead puts them back in charge of the situation. By all means have fun with your toddler during the bedtime routine, but perhaps limit any choices you give to something like choosing between a story or a nursery rhyme when your little one is in bed.

Big boy / girl bed

Already your toddler will be starting to form their identity and have plenty of likes and dislikes. They’ll almost certainly have a favourite cartoon character, princess or superhero. Treat them to a bedding set with their favourite character on it and they’ll be asking you if they can go to bed. Use the opportunity of having a first duvet set to praise your child for sleeping in a big boy / girl bed. Remember that your child doesn’t need a duvet of the same tog rating you would use or they will over heat during their sleep. Choose a duvet of around 4.5 – 7.5 tog or look in the Sleepy People summer duvets section.

Let them fall asleep alone

Getting your child used to falling asleep without you in the room is important to establish from the start. When you have finished the bedtime story, tuck you little one in, kiss them goodnight and then leave the room. Your child will learn to fall asleep on their own. If you wait until they are asleep before leaving the room, your child will expect you to stay every night until they have fallen asleep.

Stick to your routine

Whatever becomes your sleep routine – stick to it. If you become inconsistent with the events that lead up to bedtime, your child will soon get out of the routine you worked hard to establish.

SleepyPeople‘s article about How To Get Your Child To Sleep In Their Own Bed is definitely one for us, too. Our toddler comes into our bed most nights and that’s something we’re trying to stop at the moment.

Do your little ones sleep well?