Making a toddler sleep peacefully for the whole night is a daunting task. Some days they may be good and sleep on time but most of the days they will cry and want your attention. The ways to calm your toddler to sleep will keep changing over time. Finding the best way that works for you both is important. These remedies to treat this problem include taking to them so that they can understand and setting consistent bedtime routines.
Toddler Won’t Sleep—How to Put Him to Sleep
1. Talk to Him and Make Him Understand
One of the best advices for parents when your toddler won’t sleep is to put their toddler to sleep feeling safe and secure. When they start understanding languages, it calls for you to talk to them more and to cut short your presence in their room. When you leave room to fetch a glass of water or get an additional blanket, just tell them that you will be back in five minutes as this will make them understand that you will be around. When you put your toddler to sleep, you can leave room to run errands and be back in a while to check on them. The communication and understanding process can make your toddler understand that even though he sleeps on his own, they’ll still be safe.
2. Stick to Bed Time Routine
Every family has a bed time routine like dinner, brushing teeth, story time then tucked in soft blankets, offering prayers, then lights off and your child goes to sleep.
Some toddlers don’t show their acceptance of this routine and demand of something else. In such cases, the clock plays a key role. Create a beautiful chart for your toddler with his bed time routine pictures next to a wall clock. So next time when your toddlers becomes a rebel and wants some extra time in the tub, you can remind him the time and say that if he hurries up he will have time for an extra story. This way you are in his good books and not on the receiving end of his anger.
3. Make the Bed Cozy
It is normal that your toddler wakes up for a brief duration and then falls back to deep sleep again. This is a natural sleep cycle, but it can be disturbed with little discomfort. The goal of parents is to ensure there is no disturbance for that brief duration when their toddlers wake up, and then find difficulty in sleeping back again. Make sure your TV noise is for your room only; your toddler sleeps in a dark and quiet room. Be sure he goes to bathroom once out of his diapers.
4. Promise Enough Activities During the Day
Ever wonder why your toddlers are more energetic at bed time when they are supposed to be asleep? You can find the reason in their activity routine. Toddlers who play and have their day out in sun get more tired and sleep at night. Whereas the toddlers who play before bed time get re-energized and demand more play time than sleep. You can play a roughhousing game before dinner, and it can be full of laughter and chasing around. The laughter and exercise will let them kill their anxieties of the long day and relax easily at bed time.
5. Deal with the Cry in a Correct Way
Your toddler is growing and so is learning new habits daily. His sleeping habits are changing and this is hard for him. He feels insecure when you are not around and will cry and beg you to treat him the way you used to. For them, going to bed is like going to an unknown dark world with no familiar faces. His fears are justified and he needs your help. Listen to him and acknowledge his attention. Stay around for a while, and assure that he is safe and you are there close by. When children are around their loved ones, they experience their fears fending off and thus falling asleep again.
6. Offer Him Choices at Bedtime
Since you are trying to cut down your presence time with your toddlers so that he sleeps well and doesn’t cry in your absence, you will realize your toddler is beginning to enjoy and test his independence. You can help them feel more empowered by letting them choose things for themselves, like the story they want to hear, or having their favorite pajamas or cover sheets. The idea is to offer them intelligent alternatives and let them select one and enjoy their decisions. Example – You can ask them whether they want to sleep now or after 5 minutes. This way you control the situation and win no matter what option he picks.
7. Be Calm but Firm
Many times you will have to face a rebel behavior of your toddler. He will demand an exception to the bed time routine and throw tantrums. Your goal is not to indulge in power struggle, keep your calm and be soft to your toddler reminding him the rules. If he throws a fit, ignore it as entertaining such behavior will strengthen their techniques to repeat it again. This right attitude is essential when dealing with toddler won’t sleep problem.
8. Encourage Him to Go to Sleep on His Own
Dr Richard Ferber advocates parents to reinforce a consistent bed time routine for their child. Parents should work on creating a consistent day and night bed time routine for them. The intention is to make the babies fall asleep themselves. So when your child gets up in the middle of the night and cries out for you, reassure him that you are there and then leave, closing the door for 5 minutes (not locking it). Click here to learn more tricks to make your toddler soothe himself to sleep.
9. Know When to Move Him Into a Bed
When your toddler is between 2-4 years of age, he has outgrown himself out of his bounded cot and it is time to shift him on bed. To be in bed on time and remain there overnight can be quite a task but make sure that once he does this you acknowledge, appreciate and encourage him to do the same daily. Moving out of cot and on a big bed, gives them opportunity to come out of bed again and again but be consistent to put him back in bed, wish him a good night and move out.
Watch a video to learn more tricks when your toddler won’t sleep: