Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep...

 

There are lots of benefits to helping your toddler get a good night's sleep. Yes, you'll enjoy some much needed peace and quiet, but more importantly are the positive effects on his mental and physical development. Experts say sleep is the brain's primary activity during early development, and toddlers between one and three years old need 12-14 hours of sleep in each 24-hour period.¹

 

If you're having trouble getting your toddler to go to bed or stay in bed, it may be because he's testing his increased independence, he's now able to get up by himself or his imagination is interfering with sleep.¹ He may also have separation anxiety or nighttime fears.¹Here are some suggestions for making the nightly bedtime ritual a little easier on both of you:

• Tell your child when it's getting close to bedtime. A little advance notice can help ease the transition.³

• Establish a routine that tells your child it's time for bed. This could include reading a story, listening to quiet music, taking a bath² and brushing his teeth.

• Let your child take a favorite toy or blanket to bed.²

¹ “Children and Sleep,” http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/children-and-sleep

² “Bedtime Battles,” http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/sleep/issues/baby-bedtime-battles/

³ “Speeding Up the Bedtime Process,” by Claire Lerner ,  http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/sleep/101/speeding-up-the-bedtime-process/, accessed April 14, 2009