‘Toddlers sleeping’ – Wow, if I had the guaranteed solution to this one I would be a millionaire!
How Many Hours Is Correct For Sleeping Patterns?
This may sound like a cop out answer, but if your toddler is happy and content and is eating and playing well, then they are probably getting enough sleep. If you child starts to whine they are probably tired. Some children will naturally go off and play quite happily, if this is your child and then they start to cling on more and don’t want to see their friends, it could be that they are going through a developmental stage where they are slightly more apprehensive, or they could be lacking sleep. sleeping requirements are all different, the best way to know if you toddler is getting enough sleep it to look at their behaviour.
Why Are Sleeping Longer If They Are In A Strict Routine?
Children who have had a routine from birth have learnt to sleep through association, rather than listening to their bodies. These children will normally get cranky when their routine is messed up, this is their security. Most routines are built around the fact that your toddler never gets too tired, hence why they sleep more hours.
Creating A Sleeping Routine
All children seem to respond to routine. However, a routine does not mean that you suddenly have to give up your life and live by a stopwatch. A routine can be as simple as reading a story with your toddler on the sofa after lunch (quiet time) and then having an afternoon activity, such as going to the park, followed by supper, bath, stories and bed. sleeping can be awkward, just don’t get too stressed. If you toddler does not fall asleep after lunch, it doesn’t matter, the world will not end. Just move onto the afternoon activity (and bear in mind that your toddler may get a bit cranky as they get tired) so perhaps it is good idea not to stray too far from home. The twilight zone for sleeping problems is around five o’clock. Do not let your toddler fall asleep then. If you think they are unable to keep their eyes open, then either feed them early or a good trick is to swap bath and feeding time, i.e. bath before supper. If your toddler sleeps around five, bedtime will probably be a disaster!
When Your Sleeping Is All Wrong
If your child is not complying with the whole sleeping routine, it doesn’t matter. You need to persevere and eventually it will happen. If you want to let your child cry it out, let them. The advice is never leave a child to cry for more than fifteen minuets without checking on them. If you can’t do the crying thing (I never could) then go to them, reassuring a child will never be harmful, so your child may take a little longer to settle into the new routine, but if you are and toddler are both happy, taking a few weeks rather than days to establish the routine will not destroy your sleeping habits.
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