Miss Them Sleeping Like a Baby? How To Help Your Toddler Get a Good Night's Sleep

Babies can seemingly sleep through anything: thunderstorms, tornadoes, and even parties!

 

 However, as your baby becomes a toddler, their sleeping habits will change, and it will become harder to get them to settle as they need to. Luckily, this is not permanent, and there are some tips to help your little one sleep like a baby, which will be looked at below.

 

Breathable Bed Clothes

 

First things first, you will want to make sure that your toddler is wearing bedclothes that are comfortable and breathable. This will typically involve looking into boys' and girls nightwear, which is made from cotton, bamboo, or other natural fabrics. This will help keep your child cool if it is overly warm and will help absorb sweat and avoid rashes. So, avoid polyester bedwear!

 

Keep the Room Quiet and Dark

 

It doesn’t take much to stimulate a toddler, so when you are preparing to put them to bed, make sure their room is tidy, no toys are visible, and all electronic devices (except a nightlight) are unplugged. 

 

Try to make sure that there is no external noise if possible; toddlers are (as you know) very reactive, and loud noises can alert them and cause anxiety. So, television on low, no talking loudly, and try to move about as quietly as a mouse!

 

Avoid Stimulating Activities Before Bed

 

What do you do with your toddler in the hours leading up to their bedtime? 

 

Ideally, you will bathe them, read to them, brush their teeth, and then put them to bed. It is commonplace for children to want to watch a film or TV before bed, but this can interfere with the brain's ability to shut down as it needs to, and, with toddlers, it can rile them up! So, try to keep everything calm before bedtime and make sure that any screen time is stopped around 2 hours before bed to ensure that they get a good night's sleep. 

 

Set A Routine and Stick To It

 

OK, many parents of toddlers will state that they are chaotic and seemingly spontaneous. That may appear to be the case, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t thrive with routines. As your baby transitions into a toddler, you will need to adjust the daily routine as needed for their age, but make sure you stick to it. If their bath time is at 7 pm, make sure it occurs every day. Help them to brush their teeth before choosing a book, and so on. They will push against these boundaries but stand firm, and this will help them to wind down and go to sleep quickly.

 

Limit Naps

 

Toddlers get tired; it happens whether they are at home or if they are playing with their siblings in the garden. 

 

So, it is fine to let them nap in the early afternoon. However, once it gets to 2.30, it is time to wake them up and keep your toddlers awake. Late naps will lead to them being up in the night and almost guarantee tantrums the next day due to being tired!