It can be a challenge trying to get your toddler to sleep through the night. Not only is it tough for your child, but it also can be tough on you, as parents or caregivers. Pottiagogo is here to empathise and help ease the frustration, we understand the struggle and how tiring having a restless toddler can be. So, without delay, here are our top tips to help your toddler sleep through the night.
Make Sure They’re Comfortable in Their Room
A child’s bedroom should provide comfort, safety, and a place to relax. If your child is struggling to sleep through the night, ensure that your child is comfortable in their room. Is there a problem with their bed or mattress? Why do they feel uncomfortable in their room and is there anything you can do to fix this? For example, could you install a night light that your child can relate feelings of warmth and comfort to if they were to wake up in the middle of the night?
Create a Consistent Bedtime Routine
A consistent bedtime routine offers your child the chance to regulate their body clock and to understand when it’s time to wind down from the day. A child requires this element of routine structure for their personal development and overall health. If you haven’t created a bedtime routine just yet, or perhaps the plan isn’t sticking quite as you’d once hoped, try to create a new bedtime routine that you can be consistent with. Incorporating bedtime activities can help to encourage your child into settling down for bed. An activity could be hearing a bedtime story being read aloud to them or reading along with their parent.
Try Potty Training
Is your child waking up in the night because they need to use the potty? If you’re in the midst of potty training or you haven’t reached that stage yet, consider if this could be the reason that your toddler is waking during the night. It could be that they are restless due to having consumed too much liquid before bed and are worried about bed wetting. Consider using the Pottiagogo Travel Potty in your training routine. It comes with biodegradable potty liners and the potty is transportable and lightweight, perfect for potty training on the go, at home, or visiting family.
Consider The Impact of Daytime Napping
Navigating nap times can be a struggle. If your child is showing signs of tiredness during the day, a nap can help to make them feel better and give them energy, but on the other hand, if your child is napping for too long during the day, they won’t sleep through the night. So what do you do? To limit the impact of daytime napping on your nighttime routine, try to minimize the length and the number of naps your toddler has during the day, especially if they want to nap a few hours before their bedtime. In this instance, consider an activity that keeps your toddler focused and awake so they will be more likely to sleep through the night. This could include heading outdoors to get them some fresh air instead of a nap or carrying out a sensory activity such as playing with blocks or bubbles to awaken their senses. Leaving your toddler alone in front of the TV or listening to music might cause them to drift off without you knowing, so keep an eye on them if you can, and avoid doing things with your toddler that you already know makes them sleepy, for example, going for a drive in the car.
Be Patient and Consistent
Consistency is what’s really going to help develop a working bedtime routine for your toddler and ultimately this should have them sleeping through the night. You should be understanding of their needs but also try to teach them why sleeping is important and good for them. A child enjoys spending time with their parents and seeing what they do. If a simple bedtime activity, for example, reading a book isn’t quite getting your little one off to sleep, then try making their routine even longer. You could start their routine by asking them to show you how they brush their teeth, as well as cleaning their hands and tidying away their clothes at the end of the day. This is also an opportunity in their bedtime routine to begin using the Pottiagogo potty to assist with their potty training development.
Final Tips
Try to be patient with your toddler as they get used to their bedtime routine. As well as patience, try to have your toddler waking up at an appropriate time in the morning and making sure they have enough fuel for their day from food, water, and healthy snacks. If your toddler is napping too close to bedtime, try to play a game or have a go at an activity that will keep your toddler engaged right up until it’s time to go to bed. Be consistent in your routine and ensure that your child is comfortable.
Professional help is available to you and your child if you are struggling with sleeping through the night. Sleeplessness can create negative knock-on effects on your mental and physical health, as well as your toddler’s, so seek help if you are struggling.
We at Pottiagogo hope that you can use these tips to find comfort, guidance and the help you need so that you and your child can get back to catching your nighttime Zzz’s.
Related blog: How to Get Your Child to Sleep Through The Whole Night
