Toddler Bedtimes

I probably see the same amount of toddlers for sleep troubles as I do babies. With toddlers there are lots of variables to consider surrounding sleep and where the underlying is. A few things to consider are...

Has the sleep issue come on suddenly- were they previously sleeping through? Or have they always been a bit up and down with sleep? When a sleep issue has a sudden onset and they had been sleeping well previously it is important to think about what might be going on in their little lives. If they are at daycare/ nanny/ childminder -are they settled? Have these people noticed any behavioural changes? Have you moved house? Are they mid-developmental leap? Have there been any other changes? Any change in a toddlers life generally comes out in their sleep and attitude towards this. 

Is the issue mostly bedtime resistance (and they sleep well thereafter) or multiple night wakings? Or both? With bedtime resistance it’s important to review their daytime routine and make sure that they are having age appropriate naps, OR no nap at all... some toddlers need an hour at 2-2.5yrs of age and some don’t! They all have individual sleep needs so if bedtime resistance plays a big part in your toddlers compliance with sleep, then have a look at reducing or ridding the daytime nap. Most children under 2yrs of age still need a lunch nap. If your child is over 2yrs of age and doesn't need their daytime sleep it is really important for them to have some kind of 'chill-out' time. They still need to decompress and have a break- as we all do! This can be anything from reading, making a jigsaw,  drawing/ colouring in, or as simple as sitting on the sofa watching some age-appropriate tv.  It doesn't matter too much what they are doing as long as it is a quiet activity and mostly involves them staying still!

If your toddler is waking through the night they might well have a bit of a disrupted sleep rhythm either due to association (habit formation) or genuine anxiety surrounding the bedroom and perhaps what they might be going through emotionally/ developmentally. I always have a red night light on when sleep training toddlers as this doesn’t disrupt natural melatonin production and helps them make sense of their surroundings lessening any bedroom anx. A red night light will not inhibit natural melatonin production like any other colour would. Blue/ white/ green/ yellow and so on are short-wave light which will in effect tell the brain to stay awake and quash any melatonin that is being produced. 

A really simple but effective activity you can do with your toddler is to make a predictable step by step bedtime chart which will act as a great visual aid that you can refer back to during the actual bedtime wind-down. Getting your child involved in making this chart is key! Taking a photo of them for each step, so this might be - Bath, Pj’s, teeth & wee’s, stories in the bedroom, and then tucked up asleep with their favourite comforter. Showing a child with a picture journey makes it far easier for them to comprehend than talking them through the bedtime routine.​ You can let them stick the pictures to the chart, put stickers on it, glitter- whatever you fancy! As long as they have been a part of this process and you talk them through the bedtime routine as you are making it!