Parents have a hard time making their tot sleep. Sleeping patterns are needed in order to establish good sleep. However, waking up in the middle of the night, having bad dreams and nightmares are just some factors which disrupts a child’s sleep making it difficult to make him go back to sleep. In order to eliminate these problems, it is necessary to establish a good bedtime routine.

Toddler bedtime routines are known to be an effective technique to make toddlers sleep well. Tots love routines since it gives them consistency and stability. The thought of knowing what they should do and what will happen next comforts them. There are a lot of bedtime practices you and your toddler can exercise. You just need to pick them out and create a plan to make it work.

The following are different toddler bedtime habits that guarantee sound sleep throughout the night ensuring him to wake up bright, happy and full of energy the next day.

Do Quiet Activities

Playtime is always a favorite of your tot so why not make it a part of his bedtime routine? This makes your child become more eager to participate. Just avoid activities that demands too much physical actions. Instead, focus on doing soothing activities together by making him draw or talk about how his day went; what he did and what he ate. This stimulates his body and mind helping him slow down after all the activities he did during the day.

Give Him A Bath

Getting your toddler clean and warm before his bedtime is a very good bedtime ritual. There is nothing like an evening bath that can calm down your energetic little tot. Bathe him in warm water instead of cold water to help him relax. The temperature of the water is an effective way to soothe his nerves. Give him a nice warm bath. Take your time in the bathroom. Allow him to sit in the tub for a few minutes. Play with him.

Brushing of Teeth

After giving him a bath, let him brush his teeth. To make it more fun, buy him a toothbrush with his favorite action hero on it and do it together. Sing your favorite songs to make shift the task from tedious to fun.

Hold A Pajama Wearing Contest

After he has refreshed, it is better you let him pick out which color or design of pajamas he wants to wear for the night. This makes him think that he has a say even when it comes to bedtime. If it takes him too long to wear his night clothes, challenge him to finish wearing his clothes before you finish singing a nursery rhyme.

Give Him A Light Snack

Give him some snack so he will not get hungry and wake up in the middle of the night. Leave chips and sodas out. Instead, let him eat healthy snacks like cheese and crackers or a cookie. Let him drink milk. Milks are very effective for making your tot go to sleep soundly.

Play His Favorite Song

His room’s atmosphere plays an essential role for his bedtime routine as well. After bathing and brushing, put on some music. Choose the soft, mellow ones. Better yet, compile his favorite lullabies and nursery rhymes and play the CD each night. Music helps ease his transition from being wide awake to falling asleep.

Read Bedtime Stories

The favorite bedtime routine of every toddler, stories serve as the perfect nightcap for children. It is a proven ritual that helps toddlers sleep well in no time. Give him the privilege of choosing the story he wants for the evening. Read it to him in a slow and clear manner. Not only will it help him get sleepy, this also gives him security.

Cuddle

At the end of the day, your tot wants affection. Talk to him for a few minutes and tuck him in afterwards. Give him his good night kiss and hug every night. Cuddles allow him to feel comforted giving him a pleasant feeling that he can bring to his sleep. To add extra comfort, have a night light (if he is scared of the dark) and turn it on after switching off the main lights.

Bedtime routines serve as a security blanket for your tot. It is in doing these evening habits that gives him comfort allowing him to sleep well through the night and wake up happy and refreshed in the morning.

Are you having a hard time getting your toddler to sleep? Do you constantly wake up in the middle of the night to find your tot wide awake in bed? These are very common scenarios especially during this stage wherein your toddler’s energy is just too hyper. This is also a burden on your part since you have to wake up in the wee hours of the day. Helping your tot sleep well through the night is doable. You just have to create a sleeping plan.

There are a lot of effective sleeping methods you can introduce to your tot. The key to getting your toddler to sleep is to test each technique out in order to know which ones work and do not work with your child.

Guide to Making Your Toddler Sleep

Getting him to go to sleep is all about before bedtime preparations. Try doing these effective tips:

Make His Bedroom Inviting

One of the easiest ways to get your toddler to sleep at night is to make his room appealing. His room must be appropriate with his age. Redecorate it according to his preferences. Incorporate his bedroom with his favorite color, toys, action heroes and bed spread as well as a bed that is just right for his size. Your tot will love his room making him feel comfortable and secure allowing him to relax and fall asleep immediately.

Keep Him Busy During The Day

What he does and how much he does in the morning depicts how fast he can sleep at night. Your toddler’s energy is very high during day time; it is recommended that you take advantage of it. Fill up his daily routines by engaging him in physical activities. Go to the park together. Let him play in the playground. Run around the garden. Allow him to accompany you in the grocery store.

Create A Constant Bedtime Routine

Having routines make it easier for your tot and his body to get ready for bed. After dinner, allow him to play quiet activities such as reading and drawing. Talk to him about his day. After which, you can choose to let him take a light snack. Get him ready to sleep by giving him a bath, brush teeth, tell him his favorite bedtime story, play soft music and cuddle. Start his practices early, do it slowly and take your time. Using a bedtime routine establishes consistency making his mind and body ready for bed.

Oblige Him to Go to The Bathroom

When your toddler’s body is not ready for bed, then do not expect him to quickly fall asleep. Before bedtime, require your tot to use the bathroom. In this way, he will not have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee and interrupt his sleep.

Choose A Realistic Time For Bed

What toddlers hate the most is going to sleep too early while the rest of the household is still awake. This makes him feel left out. Gauge your toddler’s sleep time preferences. Do not set a bedtime that is too early if your tot is still too energetic and do not set it too late if your tot dozes off in the middle of his dinner. Follow the time you set. While he may make a fuss about it at first, you are sure that he can get to sleep in no time.

Cut Back On Naps

Taking a nap in the middle of the day allows your tot to restore his energy for his afternoon activities. However, too much nap makes it hard to get him to sleep. Instead of twice a day napping, make him nap once (preferably after lunch time). In this way, his energy level is balanced and come night time, he is too tired and excited to take his sleep.

Get Him Special Bedtime Partners

Toddlers always like to cuddle something when they sleep. Give your tot special bedtime objects to provide him extra comfort. If your child has a favorite stuffed toy, pillow or blanket, let him sleep with it. Having a night light also makes him relax so if ever he wakes up in the middle of the night, he will not get scared of the dark allowing him to easily go back to sleep.

Making your tot sleep at a particular time can be tricky. But if you are constant with his sleeping routine and pattern, then getting him to sleep becomes effortless.

Sleep is very important for the human body. During toddler years, making sure your tot gets enough sleep during day and night time is essential since this helps your tot to fully develop in order for him to grow and function well. However, just like feeding, getting your toddler to sleep is challenging and it can test your patience. To help you out, you need to establish sleep training for your child.

Resistance is your enemy since most toddlers have an innate opposition when it comes to sleeping. At this point, all your tot wants to do is to play all day long. Thus, teaching him toddler sleep training is a must. Helping your toddler learn the skill of sleep is actually easy with these tips.

Sleep training your toddler can use all your energy, determination, patience and your creativity. It is like going to a battle with your child. The following are some easy to apply toddler sleep training tips:

Create Active Morning Routines

What your tot does in the morning affects his sleep during the night. Establish a daytime routine to sleep train him. Most likely, your toddler will doze off quickly during the night. Have a specific time for him to wake up in the morning. Once your child wakes up late, everything changes; from his nap time, daily activities down to his bedtime. Let your tot play during day time. Encourage him to get involved in physical activities such as running, playing in the playground, a visit to the park or the zoo or swimming. Rigorous activities guarantee a faster and good night’s sleep making it easier to sleep train him.

Establish A Routine

Your toddler leans on his every day habits to create stability. Set up a routine after his dinner time. Never let your child sleep at once after he has finished eating since this will only increase his resistance. Allow your toddler to have a few hours doing things he likes. Let him play for a while and then move on to his bedtime routine. Here are some examples of bedtime habits both you and your tot can enjoy – eating a snack, bathing, brushing teeth, soft pillow fights, bedtime stories and a cuddle. Quiet activities help your child’s energy to mellow creating a relaxed atmosphere making him sleep in no time. Once he grows accustomed to his bedtime routine, security is established since he knows what to do and what will happen next.

Use Your Imagination

If after bedtime practices your tot is still wide awake, it is time to step up the game. Once he is ready for bed, get creative. You and your toddler can imagine about different things. Allow him to make up his own stories and ride along with it. Most likely after both of you is finished with your story, he is now tired. Sing to him his favorite lullaby to help him go to sleep.

Do Not Let Him Take Late Naps

Napping is good in the middle of the day (after his lunch time) since this helps him restore his energy for his afternoon activities. However, late afternoon naps will only keep him giddy and wide awake come night time. Do not encourage him to take a nap during three or four in the afternoon as this will disrupt his sleep training.

Be Consistent

Sleep training means you have to be consistent with your toddler’s routines. How can you sleep train him if you allow him to stay up late today and order him to sleep early tomorrow right? While it is easy to give in to your child’s demands, you need to be firm. Know that you are sleep training him because it is for his own well-being. Inconsistency on your side will only confuse your tot and once he gets puzzled, you need to sleep train him all over again.

Training your toddler to sleep is essential to reach your child’s full development. Just keep it fun, soothing and enjoyable so your tot will have something to look forward to during the night.