Toddler sleeping is a massive subject for parents. Routines and good sleeping habits are a must if a good sleep pattern is to be maintained. A routine is vitally important not only for the toddler but also for you as a parent. A child will be comforted by knowing what proceeds a task. In instance, for myself I sit down with my child for fifteen minutes reading a book before taking him up for a bath and then putting him into bed. My child knows exactly what to expect each night.
For a parent a routine means that you know what to do and when, as well as knowing how long you will have to yourself in the evenings whilst your toddler is sleeping.
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When my toddler is sleeping I use the time to catch up on little jobs around the house, to prepare food and most of all to chill out! This time is valuable to me and I use it to relax and recharge my batteries.
There are a number of issues surrounding the topic of toddler sleeping problems, disorders, waking during the night, not settling at night etc. I shall try and address these issues the best I can throughout my sleep related topic pages.
click on the link below for information on toddler sleeping problems.
Click here to go to our toddler sleeping problems information page
You may also want to read my information page on toddler sleep disorders which includes information on the disorder called Sleep Apnea. Click the link below to go to this page.
Click here to go to our bed wetting information page
Click here to go to our toddler sleeping disorders information page
Between the ages of two and three years old, toddlers need around 11 hours sleep per night and an hour and a half to two hour nap in the afternoons. Children this age will usual go to bed between seven and nine o’clock at night and generally wake up between half six and eight in the morning. For me, my toddler goes to bed at around quarter past seven in the evenings and wakes up between half five and six in the morning. Each night I hope that its nearer six! He also has a nap in the early afternoon for around an hour. Very few children need day time sleeps when they reach the age to start nursery.
During this age the child will be changing phases in their natural toddler sleeping patterns and as such will be sleeping quite lighter than you. The child will wake many times during the night, most times you wont know about (If you are lucky!) It is important that the child learns how to soothe themselves back to sleep on their own.
There are two main stages of sleep. We first go into a brief light sleep, then into deep sleep, then into dreaming sleep, then back to light sleep for a few minutes, and then into another cycle of deep sleep, dreaming sleep and light sleep. Toddlers tend to have a cycle that lasts about 60 minutes, and adults may have a cycle that lasts about 90 minutes.
During deep sleep growing and healing take place. It is harder to wake people from this kind of sleep.
During dreaming sleep (‘rapid eye movement’ sleep) we dream and ‘go over’ the day’s events.
With infants this is the major part of sleep, but by adolescence it is only about 20% of sleep.
Toddlers tend to wake during the light sleep phase of a sleep cycle.
Usually we settle back to sleep without being aware that we have been briefly awake.
During the night toddlers and young children also usually settle back to sleep after their first cycle of sleep but some may wake, cry and need help to get back to sleep.
Toddlers often do not want to go to sleep. For a toddler sleeping means missing out on fun things. such as toys, time with mum and dad and possibly cartoons etc. Many children are still afraid of the separation at night, especially those under three.
Children generally find comfort and security in routines (as previously mentioned) They help children prepare for the idea of going to bed.
A typical routine may include a relaxed bath, a drink, cuddle, story, kiss and ‘goodnight’.
Work out your routine around what is special for your child.
The half hour before bed is not a good time for tickles, wrestles, quarrels, TV or other excitement. It helps to have a ‘wind down’ time and dim the lights to help prepare for sleep. All the lights in my living room are dimmers and so I have the lights on dim for the last half hour before bath time each evening.
Let your toddler know in advance that bedtime is coming, eg. “just one more game and then it’s time to get ready for bed” – and mean what you say. This can prevent the pestering for more time to stay up.
Explain to your child that everything that they want has to be done before bed. This may include drinks, trips to the toilet, etc.
Some children can relax more easily with a night light, soft music or a story tape playing.
Many toddlers like to take a special toy to bed or have their dummy.
Some also need the door open so that they know that you are near. If your child is anxious, let them know that you will pop in during the night to check how they are.
The inner confidence to feel secure when parents are not present is still developing by three to four years of age. If night waking is being caused by separation anxiety, it usually improves after four years of age.
At times when children are sick, lonely, sad or frightened they may need help to go back to sleep. Be prepared during these times to have to comfort your toddler back to sleep.
The changes in your child’s life, eg. moving house, separations, family tensions or staring preschool, can be factors to toddler sleeping problems.
Toddler sleep problems and disorders shall be covered on a seperate page. Please click the link below for further information on this topic.
