Toddlers are bundles of energy, full of curiosity and a dash of mischief. But when that endless energy kicks in at bedtime and they flat-out refuse to settle down, it can be exhausting for parents. Figuring out how to get a toddler to stay in bed all night is a common struggle, but it doesn’t have to be a battle.
With this toddler sleep training guide, you’ll find out what keeps your kid awake at night and how you can help your baby get to sleep tight for the night.
Understanding your toddler’s sleep cycle and behaviour
Before understanding and making it possible for your toddler to stay in bed all night, it is essential to understand the sleep cycle and stages of your toddler. Your baby goes through several sleep cycles every night, and each cycle consists of five different stages.
- Stage 1: Stage 1 is called light sleep. It is when your child begins to feel drowsy and drifts off to sleep.
- Stage 2: Stage 2 is the shallow sleep stage. During this stage, your child drifts to a slightly deeper stage where the heart and breathing rates slow down, and muscles begin to relax.
- Stages 3 & 4: Stages 3 & 4 are the deep sleep stages; during this time your child will be difficult to awaken from sleep. Night terrors may also occur during this stage of sleep, which is usually within the first half of the night.
- Stage 5: Stage 5 or REM (rapid eye movement ) sleep stage, which is also known as active sleep, is the stage when the brain activity increases, and you may notice your child’s eyes moving under the eyelids. Your child may experience dreams or nightmares during this stage, which usually happens later during the second half of the night.
According to experts, including daytime naps, your toddler (12 to 24 months) needs to sleep for around 11-14 hours a day.
Why won’t the little one go to sleep?
When toddlers suddenly resist sleep, it’s often due to a phase known as sleep regression. The symptoms of toddler sleep regression are refusing to go to bed, refusing daytime naps, and waking up in the middle of the night.
However, the following are some of the common reasons why your toddler won’t go to sleep.
- Your toddler may simply be over-excited to sleep due to reasons like roughhousing, sugary juice or snacks, cold medicines, caffeine in soda or chocolate, etc.
- Another reason why your toddler might be awake at night could be discomfort due to things like loud noises, bright lights, cold, heat, stuffy nose, etc.
- Another reason could be that you have a strong-willed toddler who’s so curious that they’ve grown a fear of missing out and do not want to go to bed to see what everyone’s up to.
- Moreover, some toddlers depend too much on their parents to fall asleep, like they would want you to rock them to sleep, feed them, or hold them until they drift to sleep.
- Some other reasons could be that your toddler is scared of being alone and may get anxious, or their bedtime could be off (i.e., too early or too late).
Expert tips that will help you get your tot to stay in bed all night
Creating a consistent toddler sleep schedule can be challenging, especially when their energy seems boundless, even at bedtime. However, the following tips will help you establish a consistent sleep schedule for your kid.
Consistent bedtime routine
You have to establish a consistent bedtime routine for toddlers to give them sufficient sleep every day and help them grow physically, mentally, and emotionally. Following the same routine will help your kid wind down, and they’ll begin to sleep at the same time every day.
Set some ground rules for your kid to follow, and if your kid does not follow these rules, give them a warning or choose a consequence that’ll help them understand that it’s important to follow the rules.
Be creative
You can be creative and use sleep aids for toddlers. You can create a bedside sleep fairy jar and put a small token in it every time your kid goes to bed on time and follows good sleep behavior. The small tokens can lead to big rewards like trips to the arcade or park, which can motivate your toddler to follow the bedtime routine.
Moreover, you can also use a sticker system where every time your kid goes to bed on time, they get a sticker. A certain number of stickers can lead to different rewards, like an activity or a treat. Apart from improving your toddler’s bedtime routine, such games will also make your kid strong-willed and hence, you can find inner peace and ecstasy raising your tot as a responsible mother.
Never reward crying
It is normal for toddlers to wake up anxiously in the middle of the night and call out for you. You can reassure your kid that everything’s ok and put them back to sleep. However, avoid too much temptation to soothe your kid as it may become a way for them to seek attention. Remember not to be harsh on your baby, as helping kids sleep all night is the basic responsibility of every parent.
Be very firm
It is essential for the parents to be very specific and very firm about the bedtime rules. If your toddler stays awake beyond bedtime or crawls out of bed, you can quietly remind them to go back to bed, put them back on the bed, and close the door. However, it’s important that you show no frustration or aggression while doing so.
Helping them sleep through the night
Some kids find it difficult to sleep on their own or start throwing tantrums as bedtime approaches. If your kid wakes up and cries during the night, you can check in on them, reassure them and put them back to sleep, stay with them for a few moments, and then leave them to fall asleep.
Another thing you can try is to sit near your toddler’s bed for some time to comfort them while they fall asleep. You’ll have to gradually increase the distance between your kid’s bed and your chair to the point where they’re comfortable falling asleep even when you’re sitting outside of their room.
Additionally, you can practice bedtime routines with your toddler in the morning or afternoon when the environment is more comforting. It’ll reduce anxiety and allow your toddler to feel more comfortable at bedtime.