Putting a toddler to bed can be a very frustrating activity. It can become a chore that you dread doing, and which causes stress and frustration for everyone involved.
Hopefully, if you have a toddler that has had issues going to sleep, you have already found a few methods that have helped calm them down and get them to bed. If not, here are a few more to try.
Get a brand new bed. You may think this sounds a bit silly, and you may ask why you would give your child a “reward” for not going to bed. The answer is because you want them to be excited and happy about going to bed. Getting a new bed is one way to do this. Another might simply be to let them pick out a new set of sheets with their favorite cartoon character on them. The ideas is just to make them excited about getting into bed at night.
Set a napping routine. As we mention again and again, routines are good for kids. A napping routine is very important. Having an overtired child at then end of the night can be a disaster. They are grumpy, and oddly enough usually do not want to go to bed. The solution is to have a nap every day at the same time — 2-3 pm is a good time. Limit this nap to 60-90 minutes so that they’ll still be tired enough to sleep at night. This regular napping can do wonders in promoting a healthy sleep schedule.
Set up a reward system. If your child goes to bed with out a fuss and/or goes back to bed after waking up without a fight, then give them something to reward that good behavior. Maybe you can have a special breakfast reserved for when they do a great job, or you could just put a sticker or star on a sleep chart to show them they’ve done a great job.
Whatever works for you, try it. A little encouragement just might go a long way in helping you overcome the bedtime battles!
