Simple tips to solve Toddler Sleep Problems

From Babies to Toddlers, one of the most common problems parents face these days is slumber trouble. While newborn infants do not fall asleep, older kids refuse to go to bed! This is becoming a habit at large mainly due to the lifestyle of the parents and the changing sleep patterns of adults these days.

Scientific Reasons for Sleep Problems

Babies are often spooked by the eerily quiet surroundings at night after the buzz of the mornings and tend to wake the parents in order to feel secure. Infants are also not accustomed to the sleep cycle being at nights, especially if they are born at nights and feel asleep for the first time during the day. Think of it as a jet lag but one that stretches every day and eventually becomes a habit for the baby.

Toddlers have different reasons though – they are often excited about something that is up on TV or about what lies in store for them the next day. The right comparison is how you feel right before the launch of something you were expecting for a long time. (Like the new iPhone maybe!) Toddlers are also influenced by parenting. If you go to bed late at night, your ward also imitates the same thing! Good luck if you work the night shift.

The solutions

Get the meal time right! Though not too advisable, a child can fall asleep when they have a full tummy. Heavy meals right before bedtime might not be advisable but a healthy meal or a glass of warm milk that induces the sleep gods is a welcome move to get your child to fall asleep.

Set ground rules about bedtime. Lights out at 10 or earlier should be followed strictly and make sure a warm bath time precedes it.

Follow the same sleep pattern of the child even during weekends and vacation. A slight disruption can put you off course and might cause all your hard work to go to waste. Once the sleep cycle is disturbed, it takes a few weeks to revert back!

Lastly, do not pamper your kids during bedtime. Be a bit unforgiving in enforcing sleep time etiquette. The longer you stay next to them reading stories or talking the harder it could be for them to fall asleep. Stay just outside their room or within an earshot if they are afraid of being alone. Same applies for babies, stay away from the crib even if the baby makes a little fuss. 

If none of this works, consult a local pediatrician to find out the reason why your baby doesn't sleep at night.