This post contains affiliate links, see my full disclosure page. We received a stoplight clock complimentary to test out.
Sleep is a serious currency in my house. Both my husband and I want it, and will give anything for it. Does that sound familiar at all? Now my daughter seems to cycle between sleeping through the night, to sleeping like a newborn. I definitely thought by now, with her turning 3 soon, that I would have had it all figured out but it turns out, as they grow, everything changes. So with that, I had to figure out some ways to adapt and help her with her changing sleeping patterns. If you want to help your toddler sleep better, rest assured that I have found some great tips to help you out today. Of course, every situation varies but hopefully this will give you a starting point no matter what your obstacle is.
So let’s get into it! Here are thirteen of my favorite ways to help your toddler sleep better at night. Are you ready?
1. Get loads of exercise and fresh air during the day.
I find that on days when we get out into the great outdoors and go for walks, or spend a good amount of time outside playing, my toddler will sleep better. In fact, most of the days where we really burn her unending energy at the park, she sleeps through the night. I definitely think that is a huge finding for us!
2. Get into a bedtime routine.
When you have a set routine every night, it helps to not only anticipate what’s coming but to also ease the anxiety of what is coming next. Beyond that, it can also help your child’s mind and body to calm down through the routine and get ready for sleep. This is especially crucial for an hour or two before bedtime. Make sure you’re not running around or getting them excited! Instead, it’s a time for reading stories, taking a nice bath, or playing quietly.
3. Use a lavender spray on their sheets and or pillow.
I use a combination of lavender essential oil and water in a spray bottle that stays in her room and every night about 1-2 hours before bed, I will spritz her pillow and sheets lightly. It not only smells good but it also seems to help her relax at night and stay asleep.
4. Pay attention to your child and if they have a favorite pair of pajamas.
It might sound weird, but just like you might sleep better in a certain type of pajamas at night, your toddler might also! I started to notice that my daughter didn’t like the footie pajamas and would get uncomfortable feeling too snug at night. When we would put the shirt and pants kind on her, she would do much better and wake less often.
5. Minimize the screen time before bed.
Yeah, I’m sure you’ve already heard this a million times but in case you haven’t, I’ll reiterate it again. Studies have shown that the bright lights of the screens can disrupt our circadian rhythms and ultimately mess with the ability to fall asleep.
6. Use a stoplight alarm clock.
This one works really nice if your toddler is old enough to understand the concept of red=stop, green=go. Even if you think they wouldn’t understand, you might be surprised how quickly they learn. The concept here is that you set a time on the stoplight clock and when it gets to be that time, the light turns green meaning they can get up. If the light is yellow or red, it’s time to stay in bed. Since kids can’t tell time, this is a great way to train them to stay in bed through the night (genius, really.)
7. Tune in to nap time and how it affects bed time.
You may notice by now that if your child sleeps past a certain time for their nap, they end up staying up later and it snowballs into a poor night’s sleep. It’s tough to put an age on nap time, but if you find that your child is staying up too late due to naps, or they seem to sleep too late with their naps, it might be time to either wake them earlier so they can nap earlier, or skip naps altogether (obviously depends on the child). I’ve found that if my daughter doesn’t fall asleep for her nap by 1:30pm, then it is best to keep her up or she will sleep late and ultimately go to bed late.
8. Offer a snack before bed time.
You may have heard this from your own mother, but much like they’d advise cereal before a big nap or bedtime, it can help to fill the stomach and prevent your toddler from waking up during the night because they’re hungry or thirsty. Some great snack ideas include peanut butter, a little half sandwich, an apple or banana, rice cakes, crackers, or something similar with protein or carbs.
9. Avoid liquids (juice, water or milk) right before bedtime.
Whether your toddler is potty trained or not, it isn’t a great combination to give liquids to your child before bedtime. If they are potty trained, well, you can see where this is going. And if they aren’t potty trained, the liquids could end up filling their diaper and waking them during the middle of the night.
10. Night time essential oils.
Every night before bedtime, as my daughter is brushing her teeth, I use this lavender essential oil roller on her chest and the bottom of her feet. I feel like this not only helps her to calm and relax, but it’s also now a scent that she associates with bedtime and it cues her brain that it’s time to start getting sleepy!
11. Cue the white noise.
We’ve used a white noise machine since my daughter transitioned into her crib. It’s wonderful for mimicking the womb right away, but ultimately it also tunes out any outside noise (neighbors, rowdy siblings, the TV downstairs, dog barking…etc) and helps them to zone out any external disturbances. We purchased this one from Toys R Us (RIP, sad day) and bought a second one to bring with on travels and such.
12. Make them comfortable.
Depending on how desperate you are, this will vary. I know a lot of parents don’t advocate for their toddler to sleep with anything in fear of them becoming reliant on it, but for my sanity’s sake, I want her to have something that makes her feel comfortable and safe at night. For my daughter, it’s a little blankie that I made her. But I know a lot of kids feel much better snuggling a stuffed animal or favorite toy. It’s obviously up to you as the parent, but if it makes them feel better (and ultimately sleep better) why not?
13. Use a reward chart.
If you find your toddler is motivated by stickers or rewards, then a reward chart might be the way to go. You can find some great printables online for free and give them a shot! It’s worth a try, right?
I hope these tips helped to give you some ideas on how to help your toddler sleep better at night. And fingers crossed, help them even sleep through the night! If you have any pointers you want to share that have helped your toddler sleep, feel free to drop a comment below and share!
Until next time,
Sarah
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