Sleep is as valuable as gold for a parent, and for a toddler, they can’t seem to get the right amount or quality either. The dual struggle of the parent and child when it comes to the right sleep schedule is no joke, so it’s necessary for parents to figure out ways to incorporate better strategies to achieve the rest they need.
There is a lot of contradictory information out there, a lot of useless knowledge when it comes to getting more rest as a parent, and a lot of information that neglects the needs of the child as well.
Strategies to Help Your Toddler Sleep Well
These 6 strategies for getting more sleep will equally help you and your toddler get the sleep you both so desperately need.
1. Sleep Training Can Be Effective
Sleep training is always associated with letting kids cry it out, but it goes beyond that. Sleep training is a good way to help children learn to practice sleep hygiene at a young age and use techniques to better their sleep habits. If you take a look at https://parentingtipster.com, you can see that sleep training is among the many resources available online for parents when it comes to raising their children. Sleep training relies on different techniques for helping a child learn to sleep independently and sleep with better quality.
2. Practice Better Sleep Hygiene
For adults, you should be well-aware of your sleep habits because of your life experience. Sleep hygiene is the practice of being aware of your sleep routine and schedule and knowing how to fix it. Factors of sleep hygiene include avoiding blue light too close to bedtime, removing electronics from the bedroom, avoiding eating too much or the wrong foods before bed, and creating a consistent schedule. These are helpful in allowing you to create a rigid routine to follow that can align with your toddler’s sleep habits as well.
3. Create a Good Sleep Environment for the Baby and You
Both you and your baby need a good sleep environment. As mentioned, sleep hygiene focuses on removing distractions and other impairments to sleeping, like electronics, which is good for both you and the child. Provide your children’s room with soothing objects and provide them with an environment free (or as free as possible) from light pollution. Where you sleep is important, so keep it strictly dedicated to the act of sleeping so it isn’t filled with distractions or annoyances that will interrupt your schedule. You can also consider using a good sleep consultant for babies as well.
4. Don’t Rely on Sleep Aids
This is more for the parents, but sleep aids are a crutch you shouldn’t rely on. It’s not to shame you forever needing a sleeping pill or something to help you drift off easier, but an overreliance can cause more harm than good. It can cause chemically assisted sleep which makes it harder to kick the habit and get back into a natural groove, and it can be a problem if you are sleeping too deep and can’t hear your baby cry, etc. Sleep aids can help, but talk to your doctor and try to avoid them.
5. Improve Your Sleep with a Healthy Lifestyle
If you want to improve your sleep naturally, you should adjust your diet and lifestyle choices. Eating better, exercising, and staying hydrated will allow you to sleep better. Taking on a newer, healthier lifestyle is good for providing yourself with the health benefits it affords, but it will also help you be a more energized and attentive parent. Playing with your kid can exhaust you, so you need to fuel your body right and have the fitness to keep up so you aren’t tired all of the time during the day.
6. Allow Your Partner to Take On Responsibilities
Lastly, you need to know when to delegate duties to your partner. It’s okay as a parent to take a break and accept when you’ve done enough. You can’t handle everything, so find time to discuss a game plan with your partner on what roles you should be taken on. Dividing this labor will allow both of you to take on enough without exhausting yourselves for the sake of your child.
Ways To Better Your and Your Toddler’s Sleep Hygiene
Good sleep hygiene is incredibly important for you and your toddler for a good night’s sleep. Many people struggle with sleep because they have poor health hygiene, making it difficult to fall asleep. If you are one of them, you may want to follow the step below with your toddler to ensure both of you get a good night’s sleep.
Create a Routine
Humans love routines and habits. When you and your toddler have a consistent bedtime routine, your bodies will know when it is time to settle down and prepare for sleep. The actual routine can be set according to your and your toddler’s needs but should last around 20 minutes. This allows you to complete three to four calm and soothing activities that will make the two of you feel comfortable and ready for bed. Routines also help provide children with a sense of familiarity and comfort that will significantly aid their ability to fall asleep.
Set a Bedtime
When dealing with toddlers, you should ideally have a sleep schedule that aligns with your child’s natural biological clock. This will allow them to doze off at a particular time each night without any problem. However, having a consistent bedtime is essential. Therefore, you should set a bedtime and stick to it, whether it is a weekday or a weekend.
Implement a Screen Curfew
Although it may seem hard to keep your phones aside, it is necessary if you want a good night’s sleep. Mobile phones, tablets, and TVs emit a kind of blue light that suppresses melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone, causing you to stay up way past bedtime. Since children are more vulnerable to the effects of blue light, you should not schedule screen time near their bedtime as it may make it harder for them to wind down for sleep. You should also keep your phone away half an hour before you plan to go to bed to be able to sleep properly.
If you have any friends who are parents, they’ve likely told you numerous times that sleep is an absolute blessing, so it’s important to do your best to make sure you get enough. These strategies will help you and your toddler get the proper rest so you can enjoy time together and a healthy, happy life.