Is your toddler fighting much needed rest? Is bedtime a struggle? These simple tips will make naps and bedtime a smoother process for all – allowing everyone to get the rest they need.
Avalina, 2
1 Keep the same bed time seven days a week.
2 Encourage a daily nap.
3 Keep the hour before bedtime quiet and darkened.
4 Expose your child to daylight and activity first thing in the morning.
5 Develop a consistent, calming, happy bedtime routine.
6 Create a cozy, comfortable sleep environment.
7 Provide a healthy, low-sugar snack an hour before bedtime.
8 Get your child outside to play – several times a day, every day.
9 Read to your child every night before bed.
10 Play white noise or soft music at sleep time.
Teah, 3 and Leonie, 1
Need more tips? The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers provides gentle ways to stop bedtime battles and improve your child’s sleep.
3 Comments
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We have followed all the tips above since my son was about 6 months old. He’s now 1 year and we’ve been trying the no-cry sleep solution for bedtimes. He had been co-sleeping for 2 1/2 months due to teething/sickness and we are trying to transition him back to crib. Since we’ve transitioned back to crib he is now waking up every hour or two (he was not doing this before). I feel like we are now reinforcing his waking up so frequently. Thoughts? Advice on how to get through this? We are all exhausted.
Sarah, did you get a response? I am in a similar boat?
Thanks!
Anita
Hi Sarah and Anita! You are both dealing with the #1 sleep issue – nightwaking. All human beings wake up five or more times each night, when shifting form one stage of sleep to another. The issue, then, is not for a child to sleep all night without waking up, but for a child to be able to fall back to sleep – totally on his own – each time he does wake. In order to solve this you need to identify the cause of your involvement in every night waking. Likely you are part of the ‘falling back to sleep’ routine, so slowly weaning your presence is best – be quieter, quicker, and less active in your help (ie. rock slower, BF shorter, etc) You can see my website nocrysolution.com for lots of excerpts from The No-Cry Sleep Solution AND The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers. Good luck & sweet dreams!