10 Tips You Should Try If Your Child Doesn’t Sleep Well Through The Night!
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Do light and noise affect your toddler’s sleep? If yes, read our tips on how to create effective sleep conditions so that your toddler sleeps peacefully through the night.
There are babies who sleep through ringing phones or thundering storms. And then there are babies who wake up at the slightest of sounds; cooking sounds in the kitchen or sun rays coming through the window in the morning. If your child is sensitive to light and noise in babyhood, chances are that he has the same sensitivity even as a toddler.
How to Create Effective Sleep Conditions for Your Toddler
Here are some tips on how to create effective sleep conditions so that your toddler sleeps peacefully through the night:
- If you are breastfeeding your child, wean him off during the middle-of-the-night feeds. The same applies for bottle feeding. It will help your child to sleep without disruption. But take care your child is not hungry before he goes to sleep.
- Encourage activity during the day. A toddler who is active during the day and has exposure to sunlight sleeps better at night.
- Make your toddler used to light and normal household noises like cooking sounds in the kitchen, vacuum cleaner, lawn mowing, etc. Once he gets used to these sounds, he will be less bothered by them during his sleep.
- Monitor your child’s naps. Most toddlers between the age of 1 and 2 years require 10–13 hours of sleep. Usually, this sleeping time is divided into afternoon nap(s) and nighttime sleeping. However, some toddlers might outgrow their two daytime naps and come down to one, while some might do away with daytime naps altogether. If you feel your child’s daytime nap is interfering with his night time sleep, you may want to reduce his afternoon sleep or do away with it. Also make sure his daytime nap gets over by 3 pm so that there is a sufficient time interval till his sleeping time in the night.
- White noise helps. A fan whirring, wind chimes playing, sound from the bedroom clock or an actual white noise machine may help your toddler to sleep well.
- Small kids find comfort in routine. Try following a consistent bedtime routine. Bathe your toddler in lukewarm water, change him into his night clothes, sing rhymes or read stories to him. Soon your child will associate these activities with sleep and get prepared to sleep.
- Keep nighttime activity a low key. Try not to indulge your child in stimulating games or activities just before his sleeping time. An excited mind might keep him awake till late.
- Prepare his room according to his preferences. Keep the lights dim, temperature comfortable and his favourite cuddly blanket/ soft toy by his side. If your baby is afraid of dark, put a soft night-light in his room. This will relax him enough to sleep.
- For your light sleeper, you may want to invest in light-proofing his room and put thicker curtains to block the outside light.
- If your toddler is scared of sleeping alone in the room, try to reassure him that you or other family members will be around and will come to his side as soon as he calls.
A light sleeper stays the same even when he grows up, but soon he learns to put himself back to sleep on waking up in the middle of the night. So, no need to fret!
