Toddler’s Sleep Habit : Misha’s Sleeping Habits
I’m really having a hard time getting Misha to go to bed regularly, stay in bed or go to bed without throwing a tantrum. And, once in bed, she won’t go to sleep for a long period of time. Then I realize, maybe there can be many causes for this behavior, by putting her into bed at different times, or feeding her the wrong kind of snacks and having drinks too close to bedtime. I’ve learned that children need structure and routine to help set up a good bedtime habits.
Between their second and third birthdays, toddlers need about 11 to 12 hours of sleep a night and a single hour-and-a-half to two-hour nap each afternoon. Most children this age go to bed sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. and get up between 6:30 and 8 a.m. It may seem that your child’s sleep patterns finally resemble yours, but she’ll spend more time than you do in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and the deeper stages of non-REM sleep. The result? Because she’ll be making more transitions from one sleep phase to the other, she’ll wake up more often than you do. That’s why it’s so important that she learn how to soothe herself back to sleep.
How you can establish healthy sleep habits?
Now that your child is getting older, you can try a few new techniques to help her to get a good night’s sleep, including:
* Moving her into a big bed and praising her when she stays in it. This is the age when your toddler is likely to make the transition from crib to bed, probably because she’ll have outgrown his babyhood digs. Once she’s using his new bed, be sure to praise your child when she stays in it at bedtime and overnight. After the confinement of her crib, your child may get out of her big-kid bed over and over just because she can. If your toddler gets up, temper your reaction. Simply take her back to bed, firmly tell her that it’s time to go to sleep, and leave.
* Anticipating all her requests and including them in your bedtime routine.
Your toddler may start trying to put off bedtime by wheedling for “just one more” — story, song, glass of water. Try to anticipate all of your child’s usual (and reasonable) requests and make them part of your bedtime routine. Then, allow her one extra request — but make it clear that one is the limit. She’ll feel like she’s getting her way, but you’ll know you’re really getting yours.
* Giving him an extra goodnight kiss or tuck-in.
It’s okay to promise your child an extra goodnight kiss after you’ve tucked her in the first time. Tell her you’ll be back to check on her in a few minutes. Chances are she’ll be fast asleep by the time you return.
Tips and Warning :
1. It is important to keep your toddler on a sleep schedule. Going to bed at different times (one hour or more) will disrupt your child’s sleep schedule and internal biological time clock and it will become difficult to get your toddler to go to bed and go to sleep.
2. Preventing your child from napping during the day because you want them to sleep better at night will not work. Putting to bed an overtired toddler is much more difficult then putting to bed a well-rested toddler.
Category: Parenting