Young children with sleeping problems can be a struggle for parents and just when they have got their baby sleeping through the night, they now have toddler sleep problems. Some parents have the unfortunate experience of finding that their one or two year old child is resisting, or flat out refusing, to go to sleep at night. Most toddlers between the ages of one to two years old will require nine to twelve hours of sleep a night.Can you use some tips on how to put your child to sleep on a regular basis?Would you like to know what other parents have successfully done to help their child sleep at night? Then you need to read some of these tips that will help solve your child’s sleep problem.
Unhealthy habits.
Factors that affect toddlers sleeping habits are routines, diet, and playtime activities, and the parents may have to make some adjustments them.The toddler’s diet is perhaps the most important of the three. Your child behavior is directly affected by their diet before bedtime. You will want to avoid any snacks and caffeinated beverages, like colas or tea because snacking before bedtime is not only unhealthy, it will only give the child more energy to burn, and caffeinated products will just keep them awake. Establish a rule that forbids snacking after dinner and limit any drinking to water only. This will set your child up for the normal sleeping process, and hopefully healthy habits.
Nightly routines.
Other measures that a parent can take are bedtime routines that start before bedtime. Parents need to be consistent with the routine because the toddler will expect the routine to continue. Consistent routines are picked up quickly by young children, and if they stay consistent, they will develop better sleeping habits.One suggestion is to schedule a bath time, and a story time before tucking them in for bed. The warm bath will relax the child, and the bedtime story is a way to give your child attention before they go to sleep. Once the routine is consistently in place, the toddler be mort tolerant at bedtime.
Playtime activities.
Most parents do not realize that wake time routines are just as important as bed time routines. Playtime activities also play an important role in a toddler’s daily routine, and parents need to provide the activities, including wake up times, that will keep their child engaged during the waking hours. Toddlers who have structured daily activities usually have an easier time adjusting to bedtime at night.If you are a parent who likes to exercise at home, invite your child to exercise with you, they are usually more than willing to participate with you. Outdoor activities are also am important daily activity for your child, and if the weather permits, you should spend some time outside playing with your child. When the child is laid down for a nap; make sure that they are awakened after a set period of time to avoid them from getting to much rest during the day.
Good bedtime habits for toddlers need not be a struggle for parents, they just need to approach the problem much the same way they did with getting the baby sleeping trough the night when their toddler was younger. Structured routines carried out in a consistent manner will rectify any toddler sleep problems.All a parent has to do is set up the routines that fit your family, and you will be able to solve your child’s sleep problems in a reasonable time.