Kiddipedia
After a long day, it is a priority for parents to get their toddlers to sleep so they can have a little well-deserved me-time.
According to research, most children fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed, however it can depend on the child, their mood, how long they have napped during the day, and how open they are to the process.
It is common for toddlers to go through phases when they want a parent to stay with them until they fall asleep or they just don’t want to go to sleep full stop. Many toddlers will fight to stay up as long as they want, which makes bedtime exhausting for parents and caregivers.
You can help your children to have a good night’s sleep – the key is a predictable routine.
Bedtime rituals and routines can support your toddler to wind down, relax and get them in the mood for a good night’s sleep and most importantly keep them sleeping throughout the night. A bedtime routine is comforting and will help your child sleep and set up good habits for their childhood.
- Music
- Bath-time
- Pyjamas / Sleep bag
- Bed
- Stories
- Tucking-in
- Goodnight kisses and cuddles
- Sleep
Sleep expert Dr Damon Ashworth says having a regular bedtime can be helpful.
“It helps the brain and body know when it is time for sleep at night and time to get up and get going during the day. Having this regular routine strengthens the signals that we can get from our internal body clock or circadian rhythms, which makes it easier to sleep well at night and feel good and function well during the day”.
Tips for Toddler Sleep
1.Routine
Establishing bedtime routine that starts at the same time every night creates positive sleep patterns. When you set a pattern, it will become an automatic non-negotiable habit, your child will be become accustomed to the habit and hopefully will not challenge the practise. Routines help kids feel safe, they punctuate the day to help toddlers know what comes next.
- Bath time
Bath time is the perfect activity to mark the transition in to winddown time. A bath is relaxing and it can help toddlers sleep more soundly. Sleep expert Dr Damon Ashworth recommends that a bath about 30-60 minutes before sleep can help bring on sleepiness.
“It can be relaxing, which helps lower arousal levels. It can also raise body temperature, which then increases feelings of sleepiness as the body temperature begins to drop. Because it can raise body temperature a bit, I wouldn’t recommend it right before bed, but 30-60 minutes before bedtime can be helpful”.
- Sleepwear
Getting into cosy sleepwear or a sleep bag is a signal to a child that it is time to get ready to sleep. Most toddler will love their sleep bag up until the age of 3 – 4 years old.
- Breathing techniques
Simple mindful breathing techniques are a way to calm and get your child in winddown mode. Get your child to imagine their tummy is a balloon filling with air as they breathe in and get them to imagine the balloon getting smaller at the exhale.
- Story Time
Hypnotic Storytelling is a clever way to support your child and it is easy to do.
A hypnotic bedtime story can help children relax and sleep. Get your child to close their eyes. Use a soft sleepy voice tone and relaxing sleep-inducing words.
Create a story specifically custom-made based on your child’s personality and interests. Practise the power of storytelling to engage your child’s imagination. Maybe include “magic energy” that flows through their body making all their body parts relaxed and sleepy as the magic energy flows through them.
Record the audio, so your child can listen to the story over and over again for those evenings when you are tired or away from your child.
- Limit Screen time prior to bed
Dim the lights or draw the curtains at least before you begin the bedtime ritual and no screens in your child’s room at night. Limit screen time for young children in the evening as screens light will stop your child from feeling sleepy. The recommendations from sleep specialist is to turn off devices at least two hour before bedtime.
Dr Damon Ashworth confirms that screens can impact kids for two main reasons.
“One of them can be the bright light, or blue wavelengths of light, suppress melatonin release before bed and make it harder to fall asleep and remain asleep during the night. The other is that doing stimulating things on the screen right before bed isn’t a great way to relax the brain and body and wind down before bed. Ideally, doing non-screen related activities in the last hour before bed will help kids to be more settled and sleep better across the night”.
- Get plenty of natural light in the day
Getting as much as possible natural light during the day helps your child feel awake and alert during the day and sleepy towards bedtime.
- Avoid sweet treats
Chocolate contains caffeine so avoid chocolate in the late afternoon and evening. Sugar can also affect kids and give them a high so limited sweet treats in the evenings.
- Music and Sounds
The soothing music or gentle sounds of nature can also be used to support your child sleep through the night. Research has proven that children who listen to background music at bedtime have improved sleep quality. Another study showed that classical music is an effective intervention in improving sleeping issues.
Neuroscientists have created a song to be used as a sleep aid for kids the song Weightless, by Marconi Union is 8 minute long and made in collaboration with the British Academy of Sound Therapy. It combines low pitch, calming melodies and a heartbeat like rhythm with gentle chimes and nature sounds that induce a trance like state.
Not sure if it is true or not, I heard on ABC radio that Gwyneth Paltrow used Radiohead (not Coldplay…) to support her young children to go to sleep. So whether you try out a classic lullaby, Radiohead or Weightless, music is one of the simplest solutions to support you child get sleep better.
Dr Damon Ashworth
D.Psych(Clinical), BBSc, B.Psych(Hons)
Clinical Psychologist
