Your child’s sleeping habits will be what you make them. If you are stressed and exasperated – which is understandable since you need sleep too – remember, the child senses that, and reflects what he sees.
Tip #1 Set Bedtime Routines
Above all else, creating a routine for your child is key. Make it as close to the same time, every night as you possibly can. The more nights in a row that this can be done, the closer your child will get to going to sleep on time – and hopefully – sleeping all night.
Try making a big chart and hanging it somewhere in your child's room. Refer to it as you go through each step, asking from time to time for your toddler to help you 'remember' the next step. Dr. Tujuana White, mom of 3 says: “The routine is the best way to assure your child that bedtime is a structured, normal part of the day that everyone has to go through. Once they are comfortable with this, it helps ease the fear of being alone, and boosts the child's confidence in taking steps toward being 'like a grown-up'.” (T. White, when asked: How important is the routine with children under age 3?, September 2, 2008)
Tip #2 Make Bedtime Special
Make up a “lights out story” with your child. After reading a book, or instead of a book if you run out of time that night, a short, sweet personalized story that you tell every night will help comfort your child and prepare him for what’s expected when you walk out of the room. They may even begin to say it with you! Cant think of a story? Try this:
A long time ago, there was a ________ named _________. He/She was so afraid of ___________. One day a ________ came and ___________. So there was nothing left to fear. And they lived happily ever after and slept all night. The End.
Read this aloud and let him or her fill in the blanks. Or just fill them in with what you think they would like. Try letting them change the blanks every now and then – or every night! The point is, it's fun and easy, and it's something unique that just you and your little munchkin can share.
Tip #3 Creative Sleep Tactics
Is your child still wailing when you leave the room? Think you've tried everything? Try wearing an old (clean) shirt all day long. Put your child's sheets in the dryer with the shirt you wore. This will give the sheets the "mommy" (or "daddy") smell, and possibly help comfort baby at bed time.
Jason, dad of two says: “My wife and I just could not take our 2-year-old’s bedtime tantrums any longer, and after 6 hours of ‘crying it out’ we realized that strategy doesn't work with every baby . At the end of our ropes one evening, we threw in the towel and went to the library to find some help – any help at all. Several books later, we learned about the "inch at a time" technique. At bedtime, we would let our son see us lay near the crib, and we would wait for him to fall asleep. Each night we would inch further out of his room. In one week we were at the doorway, and by 2 weeks, the hallway! In the end, he learned to fall asleep on his own, knowing mommy and daddy would always be nearby, even when out of sight.” (J. Bailey, when asked: What technique helped your child sleep?, September 2, 2008)
All in all your little one needs to develop a healthy attitude toward sleeping, so that he or she associates sleep with something pleasant and normal. If you try to approach bedtime with a calm steady routine, and be willing to be more patient now for a long term gain…you may be looking at longer nights of sleep, sooner than you think!
Maya Tyler - In 2004, after Maya Tyler graduated from college, she pursued the career of her degree in Information Systems. As a hobby she began ...
