A task as simple as putting your toddler to sleep can turn into a battlefield. With their stored energy and assertive ways, putting the toddler to sleep is one of the hardest task some parents would have to deal with, let alone letting them sleep on their own bed. Sleep training is important, most especially with growing toddlers and preschoolers.
Sleep is one of the most important aspects in a child's growth, and sleep deprivation does not only affect the child, but also the parents. It is important to establish a sleeping pattern for your child as sleep is part of your daily routine. Though sleep training your child may be hard, there are countless methods to choose from, you just have to choose the one that would work best.
"There are good times to sleep-train and periods when it may be less likely to work. This is because infants and toddlers go through mental growth spurts that make them especially clingy, fussy, and prone to night wakings," Isabela Granic, Ph.D, a developmental psychologist stated. "They're learning new cognitive skills and often don't sleep as well."
Establish a Schedule
It is important to set a specific time as to when your child should go to bed. Make sure that your preschooler should at least get 8-9 hours of sleep for them to have enough energy for their daily activities. Make sure that nap time is not closely scheduled with break time as it is hard to put a toddler to sleep after just waking up 2-3 hours from a good nap.
Consistency
Be consistent with the routine, start the prep time with dinner, then bath time, before putting the toddler to bed, take time to read. "Bed Time" stories are unusually the cue for your child to dose off. Stick to the routine and make sure do not stretch the time, not even 5 minutes past bed time. When you'd declare light off, make sure that you child is already in dreamland.
It may take a while for the child to adopt to the routine, but once he does, you won't have problems with it in the future.
