How to Create a Bedtime Routine for Toddlers
Your toddler's bedtime affects everything from his ability to drift off to sleep in a timely fashion to the amount of aggression he displays throughout the day. Getting enough sleep each night is especially important for a toddler -- that tiny bundle of energy who has a notoriously short fuse from the get-go. Form healthy bedtime habits now to keep him on an even keel and functioning at top capacity all day long.
Things You'll Need
- Snack
- Bath
- Story books
- Dim lighting
- Soft music (optional)
- Quiet toys (optional)
Instructions
Have a meeting with everyone who is involved in toddler bedtime -- yourself, your spouse or partner, other siblings and most especially, your toddler. This is the time to set rules concerning times, routines and expectations. Ensure that everyone is on the same page to make learning a new habit much easier. Assign a role to all involved. Make one person responsible for baths and one for stories. If you have older siblings in the house, make them responsible for last-minute snacks or the nightly sip of water before bed. Lower the lights, turn off the electronics and begin easing your toddler into sleep mode at least an hour before his actual bedtime. "Sleep in America," a 2011 survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, suggests exposure to bright light right before bedtime hampers the body's ability to fall asleep by suppressing hormones and disrupting body rhythms. To help your toddler transition to dreamland more smoothly, nix the bright lights and television early. Pick a routine and stick with it until it becomes a habit. While there are no hard and fast rules that govern how long it takes for an activity to become second-nature, consistency and determination are a definite factor. This means making the same preparations in the same order, at the same time, every night. This allows your toddler to anticipate the next move -- first a snack, then a bath, then a story, for example -- and sets his internal clock accordingly. Whatever routine you decide upon, be consistent. Prohibit active play prior to bedtime. Wrestling matches, bed-jumping and running races around the house are taboo after a certain hour. If your toddler still has trouble winding down after the nightly routine, settle him comfortably in bed and break out the board puzzles and coloring books while you read quietly to him under low light. Bedtime isn't the right time to encourage excitability, and active play does just that. Experiment with adding soft music, such as a lullaby, quietly in the background.
