Sleep tips for toddlers... get them to sleep through the night starting tonight!
December 20th, 2017
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A baby that won’t sleep is without doubt one of the most soul crushing, life draining, patience stealing dilemmas a new parent can face. Having said that you get through on a glow of new parent ‘blissfullness’ and the constant self promise that it’s only for a few more months.
Then your newborn becomes a toddler and they don’t sleep.
You’re using twice the energy now that they’re mobile and your having to constantly chase them round the house to stop them pushing rice cakes into the Blue Ray, or eating the dogs dinner in, but you’re performing on half the sleep.
We feel you’re pain.
So here are some top tips to get your toddler sleeping through the night ...now.
Then your newborn becomes a toddler and they don’t sleep.
You’re using twice the energy now that they’re mobile and your having to constantly chase them round the house to stop them pushing rice cakes into the Blue Ray, or eating the dogs dinner in, but you’re performing on half the sleep.
We feel you’re pain.
So here are some top tips to get your toddler sleeping through the night ...now.
There are lots of positive steps you can take that will support better sleeping patterns long term.
A consistent approach, a settled routine, a healthy diet and so on. Chances are though, if you’re reading this you’ve probably already tried the basics (bath, book, bed) and are looking for some more original suggestions.
Try working your way through the senses to see what helps your toddler sleep better
A consistent approach, a settled routine, a healthy diet and so on. Chances are though, if you’re reading this you’ve probably already tried the basics (bath, book, bed) and are looking for some more original suggestions.
Try working your way through the senses to see what helps your toddler sleep better
Sight
When trying to settle your child be sure to consider their surroundings. Are there any flashing lights, street lamps, etc. that aren’t conducive to a good nights sleep? Invest in a black out blind if you haven’t already.
Make sure the room is dim right from the start of whatever routine you have in place (reading them a bedtime story in bright lights won’t help). I invested in a cheap rechargeable clip on book light for my son’s room as we don’t have a dimmer switch, and it creates a lovely cosy atmosphere.
Make sure the room is dim right from the start of whatever routine you have in place (reading them a bedtime story in bright lights won’t help). I invested in a cheap rechargeable clip on book light for my son’s room as we don’t have a dimmer switch, and it creates a lovely cosy atmosphere.
Sound
Lots of mums I know swear by a white noise machine. If not for getting your little one off to sleep, they can be quite effective for masking other sounds so that they stay asleep and don’t get disturbed by household noise. Check the volume on your TV downstairs, you’ll be surprised how much it carries. Don’t walk around on tip toes, your child needs to cope with some background noise, but check to see what sounds might be interrupting a peaceful sleep . In my street it’s a helpful lad on a moped that does laps around the block...I’ve now invested in a white noise machine, which if it doesn’t work, I may resort to just throwing it at the moped!
Touch
It’s important to get temperature right for toddlers (they’re sweaty little things!) There’s a good chance they’re getting too warm, kicking the covers off and then getting too cold...hence waking up.
I recommend a sleep sack/sleeping bag, to ensure they stay cosy all through the night.
I recommend a sleep sack/sleeping bag, to ensure they stay cosy all through the night.
Taste
As mentioned earlier, diet can affect sleep, but in the short term, consider what food they ate last and whether it’s likely to leave a lingering taste, or worse, excess gas! Make their last meal of the day a bit more simple, to see if that helps.
Also try warm milk and honey for a soothing bedtime drink that induces sleep.
Also try warm milk and honey for a soothing bedtime drink that induces sleep.
Smell
If it’s you they’re crying for at night, it may be a good idea to leave an item of clothing in bed with them so that they have that comforting scent.
Another great sleeping aid is lavender. You can buy pillow sprays that are designed to help soothe you to sleep, just be sure to read instructing regarding usage for children carefully.
Another great sleeping aid is lavender. You can buy pillow sprays that are designed to help soothe you to sleep, just be sure to read instructing regarding usage for children carefully.
Five senses to consider for ensuring more than five minutes sleep. Work your way through each sense and let us know how you get on in the comments.
Hayley x
