Toddler Sleep Routines And Sleep Issues

Toddlerhood brings dramatic changes to children's eating patterns and sleep patterns. Tantrums and negative behavior are common during the toddler period as they learn to control their world. These behaviors can be exhausting and frustrating for parents.

Toddlers enjoy routines, so we need to develop rituals to help them feel they are in control of their world. Toddlers find it difficult to manage change in their routine.It is important to provide a safe environment, so your toddler can play, sleep and grow.

At this age, your baby or toddler should be sleeping all night without a feed. Toddlers make maytake one to two naps a day. Sleep Rescue typically recommends keeping two naps as long as possible. From 14 to 19 months, many toddlers switch to one nap a day.

Toddlers need13 to 14 hours of sleep a day, and 11 of them should be at night. The rest should come from naps during the day.

We Can Help You Implement These Toddler Sleep Routines

Nap time may become more difficult for your toddler. Children sometimes change from one nap to two naps, and they alternate frequently. However, consistency is necessary for toddler sleep issues, and a routine is essential for children.

Between the ages of 2 and 3, many parents decide to move their toddlers to big beds. It is important to consider the child's behavior and development before making this decision because it can lead to toddler sleep issues. Sleep Rescue recommends waiting until the child is closer to 3. This transition may be difficult for many toddlers. Parents notice the common issue of toddlers repeatedly getting out of their bed rather than sleeping.Another issue that many parents encounter is the toddler stalling to go to bed. For a smoother transition, involve your toddler in purchasing the bed, so they are a part of the process.

At Sleep Rescue, parents often ask when their child should stop needing a nap during the day. Studies show that many children stop taking naps at around the age of four years old, but some experts say that may be too soon. Daytime sleep remains important for kids during the preschool years and even throughout kindergarten. The key is to notice if your child falls asleep easily during the day. It is a sign they still need a nap.

A one to two hour mid-afternoon nap should not interfere with bedtime for most preschoolers. In fact, the opposite often occurs; young kids who don't nap get over-stimulated. Then, they have a tough time settling down in the evenings and even begin to wake up overnight. Even if your child does not fall sleep, encourage them to have a quiet time for one to two hours in bed.

It is important to avoid contributing to toddler sleep issues. If your toddler is difficult to settle for the night, refusing to stay in bed on their own or waking frequently overnight, you have to be careful.Laying down with your child to get them to sleep may mean they may never learn to settle themselves back down when they wake up at night.

You should try to avoid letting your child become dependent on external conditions such as your presence,music or lighting. Since they will need the same thing every time they wake up at night before they can drop off again,the external conditions may work in the short term. However, these methods can teach your toddlers to depend on being put to sleep instead of falling asleep on their own.