When it comes to getting your toddler to sleep, it can feel like a bedtime battle for many parents, with midnight wake-up calls almost a guarantee. However, a good sleep routine is essential for both you and your baby’s health. This much-needed downtime provides a huge array of benefits including a boosted mood, better self care, and improved behaviour to name a few.
We understand the struggles of sleep training which is why in this blog, we share four top tips for toddler sleep training to help you and your little one establish healthy sleeping habits. From helping you choose the right sleep training method to maintaining a sleep routine for your baby, these tips will have your toddler snoozing soundly in no time.
What are the recommendations for toddler sleep hygiene?
The Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), provides advice on a child’s sleep hygiene which they define as “the lead-up to and routine around your child’s bedtime”. They recommend the amount of sleep a child needs is as follows:
- Infants between the age of 4-12 months – need 12-16 hours of sleep per day, including naps.
- Toddlers between the age of 1-2 years old – need 11-14 hours of sleep per day.
- Children between the age of 3-5 years old – need 10-13 hours of sleep per day.
These guidelines can often be hard to follow with day-to-day activities like work, family, and life getting in the way. But one way of making sure your baby gets the recommended rest they need is through sleep training.
When should you start toddler sleep training?
Deciding when to start incorporating sleep training methods to your child’s bedtime routine can differ from baby to baby, however many sleep coaches agree you can start between the age of 4 and 6 months old. If your baby is older than this, there is no need to panic as routine and practice are all that’s needed. The reason the 4-6 month old window is recommended is because experts suggest this is when some babies experience sleep regression.
The only difference age makes in toddler sleep training is it may determine what sleep training method you implement. For example, a gentle shush-pat (shh pat) method might work with a five month old, but not so much for a 1 year old as they’ll more than likely cry and scream with a new bedtime routine.
Our top sleep training tips
Toddler sleep training can be a divisive topic among parents as every child is different and figuring out when and how to get them to nod off can be difficult to pin down. However, our top sleep training tips will help you and your baby find your rhythm and finally get you that full night’s sleep you’ve been after.
1. Decide on the best sleep training method for your baby
When it comes to choosing the best sleep training method, it’s important to remember that every baby is unique, so what works for one may not work for another. There are several methods to choose from and thousands of articles on which is best, but when you do choose the right method, it’s important to stick to it for consistency.
Some of the most popular baby sleep training methods include:
- The Cry It Out Method – this method includes creating a bedtime routine, settling your baby down and leaving them regardless if they wake up and cry.
- The Ferber Method – similar to the Cry It Out Method, this involves creating a bedtime routine, settling your baby down and responding to your baby if they cry, but only for the first few nights. After that, parents will gradually increase the amount of time they attend to their baby.
- The Check and Console Method – as the name suggests, this method encourages parents to check and console their child before they start to cry.
- The Fading Method – this method involves a parent staying in the room until their baby falls asleep.
- The No Tears Method – this method primarily focuses on helping your baby fall asleep on their own without any crying through a consistent bedtime routine.
Remember to pick a method that both you and your baby will be comfortable with. This will ensure success and encourage good sleeping-habits for your little one.
2. Be sure to keep track
When you’ve chosen the best sleep training method, be sure to keep track of their sleep rhythms and patterns. Remember to try and note down when your little one wakes in the night and how long they sleep for for example to gauge their natural sleep rhythms.
You could use a sleep journal or a baby tracking app to log this kind of information consistently. Doing this will not only help you see development with your efforts and not lose morale, but it can also help you improve your baby’s sleep routine as you can quickly see if there are any disruptions and sort them accordingly.
3. Set the scene
The environment your baby sleeps in can affect the overall sleep routine, so setting the scene plays a crucial role in creating a soothing environment for a restful night’s sleep. Dimming the lights, playing soft music, or reading a bedtime story can help signal to your baby it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep. As well as this, keeping the room cool, dark, and quiet helps promote deep and uninterrupted sleep. Even simple things like fresh clean PJs and bedding can help towards a peaceful night’s sleep and improve the quality of your baby’s slumber.
4. Plan for success
Once you’ve taken the plunge with your chosen toddler sleep training method, it’s key to stay consistent and remember, you’re not alone on this journey! Even when it feels like a battle, try and stay positive and know you’ll get to a point where your baby will fall asleep independently.
Until you reach that point, here are some additional sleep training tips:
- If you’re using music as part of your bedtime routine, don’t adjust the volume too much as your baby will learn to sleep with ambient noise around.
- Consider investing in a baby monitor with a camera. When they cry you’ll be better placed to know if it’s genuine distress or not – you also won’t need to disturb them to check they are settled.
- Try to cut down on unscheduled naps and fill your days with activities to keep your child interested and active.
- If you have twins, keep them together as they often sleep better next to each other because they won’t miss being in the same space.
- Many parents give their baby their own space and move them into their own room for better sleeping habits.
- Remember, your baby won’t be able to sleep well every night, so it’s important to know when to give in. If they are out of sorts, comfort and see to them to ensure they are safe and sound.
- Be patient – you’re learning alongside your baby so be prepared for ups and downs.
Book a visit at our day nursery today
Here at Stepping Stones, we’re committed to helping your little one develop in a happy, safe, and enjoyable environment and we provide each and every child with the support, education, enrichment, and entertainment they deserve. If you’d like to see how your little one can learn and grow at our day nursery, get in touch with us today, or book a visit to see our nursery for yourself.