Ever wish you could get back all those naps you refused as a child? As adults, we crave and appreciate sleep, but as children, it's common to fight against this natural need. Young children who are used to playing and exploring all day can naturally want to avoid the lack of excitement that comes with bedtime. After all, nothing fun happens while you sleep. Couple this with a toddler's desire to exert independence, and you may have a nightly battle on your hands.
Despite the battle over bedtime, it is important to start good sleep habits and a bedtime routine from a young age. Sleep problems not only disrupt a child's nights — they disrupt his/her days too, by making him/her less mentally alert, more inattentive, unable to concentrate and easily distracted. They may also make your child more physically impulsive and hyperactive.
To give your child the best start in life, here are some sleep tips to help make bedtime a breeze:
How to Develop a Bedtime Routine
Establishing set bedtime routines and approaches is important, no matter the child's age. It's important to note that sleep is incredibly important for toddlers due to the critical brain development during these early years. So, what can you do to help toddlers that are stubborn and fight sleep late into the night? Thankfully, there are some effective sleep tips and methods to ensure your little one gets the sleep he/she needs.
1. Thrive on Routines
Children thrive off of routine and predictability during the day, and the night is no different. A good bedtime routine lasts around 20 minutes and consists of three or four calming activities, performed at the same time and same way each night before bed. The brain automatically starts winding down for sleep when nighttime routines are well established, making the bedtime transition a bit easier.
2. Establish Limits
Once the nighttime routine is complete and it's time to leave your toddler, it's not uncommon for requests and demands to begin like: “I need another hug," “Tell me one more story," or “Can you get me another glass of milk?
Know that most requests at nighttime from children are delay tactics and they will quickly figure out exactly what to say to keep their day going just a little bit longer. Toddlers will test their strategy on different caregivers and once they've found a weak spot, they will attack.
Just started potty training? Your toddler will suddenly develop the urge to use the bathroom right as you try to turn off the lights, despite going just 10 minutes prior. Picky eater? The child may request that full plate of veggies they so adamantly refused during dinner time.
Once the nighttime routine is over and the delay tactics begin, parents should be sure not to give in or else the toddler will catch on to his or her success and whip the tactics out more frequently. Please note that tantrums are not uncommon once children realize their delay strategies are not getting traction, but giving into tantrums will essentially guarantee nightly tantrums. The key is sticking with the plan. Finish the routine, kindly deny any requests and then leave the room.
3. Become a Robot
If you've made it past the demands, ignored the tantrums and are able to finally leave the room, the first half of the battle is over. The second half begins when your toddler follows you out the door to start the next round of demands or tantrums.
To change this behavior, your response to the toddler leaving the bedroom needs to be consistent and persistent. With every attempt to leave, take the child immediately back to bed, and, like a robot, repeat the same boring line each time you lay your child back down. Something along the lines of, “I love you. It's bedtime. See you in the morning," will typically suffice. The line should be stated with minimal emotion. No arguing, no begging, no pleading. Simply return the child to bed with each attempt to leave and repeat the line.
Children are incredibly persistent, so this may take 50 or 100 attempts on the first few days. While this may seem daunting, just remember that consistency is the key and any emotional response (either positive or negative) can be reinforcing when sleep training toddlers. If you're getting angry, the child will know the tactics are working. Stay neutral. If you are consistent, the arguments should usually decrease after day 3 of using this technique.
4. Reward the Good Nights
Toddlers love rewards. Sticker charts can work wonders for changing behaviors. If bedtime has become a battle, simply let the child know that he or she will get a sticker on the chart for every good night. Once a certain number of stickers are accumulated, the child can get a small, non-food reward.
With a full day of work and play, sometimes it can be challenging to fit in a solid night's rest. Although it's not at the top of everyone's to-do list, sleep gives both you and your children the energy you need to tackle another day.
For the majority of children, the combination of using a routine, setting limits and rewarding good behavior will be the keys to a good night's sleep for your toddler. But if you've tried all of the above to no avail, or you worry that your child may have an underlying medical or psychiatric disorder such as anxiety, please be sure to speak with your pediatrician.
