Does sleep training your toddler wear you out? Not to worry, for you are not alone. Many other parents feel the same way, too. Do not worry too much this will pass for sure. We only have one question that needs to be answered for that, how?
No matter how good a sleeper your child can be, you will reach the moment in their infancy where sleep is the last thing that will come to their mind. There are many ways to make your toddler enjoy rest, but there is no apparent reason for this transition.
There will be two things guaranteed if your child has already moved from a crib to a bed; but as they grow up, they avoid falling asleep and staying asleep. First thing you know, you're already fed up. You become tired and exhausted. Second, you've heard a lot of classic sleep-training strategies that won't work any longer.
Your child is now too stubborn, and healthy sleep training them may get more challenging, and when you try to force them. Kids at their age often lie in their beds and cry. However, this should not despair you! Know that there are still successful sleep training sessions for older children, and we'll share them in this article.
Sleep Training Techniques for Your Toddlers
If only one universal approach worked for each infant, imagine how simple sleep training would be for parents. But of course, there is no perfect world indeed, and just like any other aspect of parenting, no one approach works for every child.
So, if you want your child to sleep until you find one sleep technique that works for your child and your family, you may have to experiment with various methods first.
The "camping it out" method
Do you often move your baby from your bed to his bed? One technique might help you, try putting your child in their bed and then camp out in their bedroom for a couple of nights on a mattress.
Another transition is for parents to try sitting on a chair near their bed until their toddler is relaxed in their bed, and by then, you leave the room until they fall asleep. Do this technique for a couple of nights, and then try putting your child to bed on the fifth night and leave the room.
The "cry it out" technique
This technique is the old, graduated extinction Ferber-style but adapted for a toddler. If you choose to use this technique instead, you should be prepared for some resistance from your child, and you should not be surprised if they resist as your child is very strong-willed!
It will always be hard for parents to hear their child cry out loud, but this technique will work better than the fading process. The reality when doing this technique is your child's sleep-resistant. They will scream or yell for mostly an hour. But you can't give in to this approach to work, or else they will learn that crying longer and harder is how to get what they want.
READ MORE : Blake Shelton on Being a Stepdad to Gwen Stefani's Children: "There's Definitely Nothing Easy About it."
Fading your child's usual pattern
If your child sleeps being held or rocked, you might want to use a fading technique. This technique is similar to the pick-up put-down method, which is suited and commonly used for babies.
This technique can be a significant transition from a lap sleeper to a bed sleeper, so you might want to start taking your child's cuddling session at nighttime that they use to fall asleep may be more than they can bear.
Rehearse your bedtime routine
During the day, practicing a revised bedtime routine will benefit both parents and kids who are afraid to make adjustments to their sleep routine. You may be able to do a small version of bedtime. The more frequently you rehearse, the easier it is going to be. However, you can still reenact on the weekends, and it's okay, too.
