How to Help a Two Year Old Sleep

A night of restful sleep for your child can make all the difference in your day. Children around the age of 2 can often start to have trouble falling asleep. They may develop disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, referred to as DIMS. Children who are having trouble falling asleep are dealing with problems related to autonomy -- being independent from their parents. By using an established routine every night, you can transition your 2-year-old into a successful sleeping pattern.

Instructions

    • 1

      Initiate quiet activities about an hour before bedtime. Play quiet games, sing songs, do puzzles or coloring activities. This helps to unwind the child before starting a bedtime routine.

    • 2

      Begin the bedtime routine with a bath. Bathing usually calms and quiets a child. Give him a few toys to play with in the tub.

    • 3

      Offer the child a snack. Bedtime snacks should include some foods with calcium and carbohydrates to induce sleep. Offer cookies and milk, cereal with milk, half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with milk, or a slice of pie with ice cream.

    • 4

      Help the child brush her teeth. This teaches good oral hygiene and is especially important since she just had a snack. Let her brush by herself, then finish the job for her to be assured the job was done properly.

    • 5

      Tuck the child into bed and read him some books. This activity should last about 20 to 30 minutes. Children thrive on schedules, and reading the same books each night establishes a routine and tells the child that when these books are read, that means it's bedtime.

    • 6

      Give the child some transition objects to comfort her while you are gone. This could be a stuffed animal or special blanket. These transition objects help to provide autonomy and independence from the parent.

    • 7

      Tell the child "Good night," and leave the room. Tell him that the door can remain open as long as he stays in bed. If he gets out of bed, close the door and stand by it until he gets back into bed, then open the door again.

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