How to Set a Schedule for Your Toddler When You Work Late
When you work into the evening and you have a toddler, you may need to get creative with your youngster̵7;s sleeping schedule to ensure that you and your child can spend quality time together every day. Your child̵7;s bedtime can be arranged to fit your later work schedule. As long as your toddler gets enough sleep and has a regular bedtime routine, the end result should be positive for your family.
Instructions
Determine the amount of sleep your toddler needs every day, taking into consideration time spent napping. Most children between ages 1 and 2 usually require between 10 and 13 hours of sleep every 24 hours, states the Kids Health website. A toddler, for example, may sleep approximately two hours during his afternoon nap and then sleep 11 hours at night. Schedule your toddler̵7;s nap according to the time you want him to go to bed at night. For a toddler, the amount of time between waking from a nap and going to bed at night should equal approximately five hours, according to the Baby Sleep Site. So, if you want your toddler to go to bed at 10 p.m. every night, he should be up from his nap by 5 p.m. every afternoon. This means that if your toddler generally naps for two hours, he should do so between 3 and 5 p.m. Institute a standard evening routine with your toddler to create special family bonding time. If your little one has a snack after getting up from his afternoon nap, you could all eat together as a family around 7 p.m. After dinner, the routine might include playing with toys for about an hour until it̵7;s time to begin the bedtime routine. Begin the bedtime routine approximately one hour before you want to tuck your child into bed, suggests the Mayo Clinic website. Thus, for a 10 p.m. bedtime, the bedtime routine should start at 9 p.m. The routine could include a bath and then a snack. After the snack, brush your child̵7;s teeth and have some quiet snuggle time with him while you read some stories or sing lullabies. Provide your child with a security object, tuck him in and leave the room while he̵7;s drowsy but awake, recommends the Athens Sleep Center.
