Getting some rest is really important for toddlers to recharge. This is also beneficial for their physical and mental development. Letting your toddlers sleep is a good thing, but it is not easy.
As pointed out by Care2, Dr. Jason Coles, a sleep specialist, "You can't really make children sleep but you can provide them with an environment conducive to napping."
This idea is simple, but does it really work? According to him, at a certain age, children will change their sleeping pattern and duration.
Infants usually sleep 16 to 20 hours within the day. Babies aged between six to twelve months will usually have 11 hours sleep during night time and take two short naps during day time. As they grow older, their sleeping hours get shorter. For toddlers, they might be sleeping a total of 10 to 13 hours within the day including naps.
Here are some tips that should help your children fall asleep easier:
Set a schedule for nap time
It's just same as training your toddlers in doing something. If this is done every single day at the same time, it will be a routine for them. They will develop their body clock to sleep on the scheduled time for napping. There will also come a time when they will show some signs of drowsiness if they are already used to it.
If your toddler has older siblings, make sure to instruct them to tone down the noise during nap time.
Avoid giving your child food or beverage containing caffeine before nap schedule
If your toddler ate too much chocolate or drank a small amount of soda, they might not be able to catch some sleep quickly or worse, they won't be sleepy at all. Caffeine is a body stimulant. It will make them feel hyperactive and awake but this doesn't last too long depending on the amount they have taken.
Simulate a night time surrounding
Escort the child to his or her bedroom and tuck them in just like what parents do at night. Turn off the lights and cover the windows to dim the room. Try to make the room temperature cooler just like at night time. This would give them a feeling of a night time surrounding and make them think it's time to sleep. Playing a gentle music would help but not really necessary.
