TODDLER SLEEP MISTAKES YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU'RE MAKING... and how to fix them! - Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Potty Training Coach

TODDLER SLEEP MISTAKES YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU’RE MAKING… and how to fix them!

Baby sleep and toddler sleep are two completely different beasts. If your toddler is struggling to sleep all of a sudden, even though when they were a baby they were sleeping just fine. I’m going to tell you the top 10 things that you’re doing wrong with your toddler.

TODDLER SLEEP MISTAKES YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU’RE MAKING… and how to fix them!

Now, I’m not one to generally be like “you’re doing this all wrong,” but sometimes toddlers can kind of get us down a path of not doing the best thing. So, let’s get into all of the things that you may be doing by mistake.

That you have an inconsistent bedtime routine. You may think that because your child is a little bit older you don’t have to be as regimented in your routine, as you were when they were a baby, but that is completely not true. Toddlers need predictability, and they need routine and they need consistency.
Inconsistent parenting. This is when mom does one thing and dad does something else, and your child is going to develop a parental preference.
There’s a balance between how much control your child can and should have at bedtime. If you don’t have my bedtime routine cards, go get them! They are cue cards for your child’s bedtime routine that you can print out and hang up on your child’s wall. They can choose the order of their bedtime routine. But then once they do that, you need to hang them up or even just lay them out on the floor and have your child guide the bedtime routine.
“My child won’t let me leave” or “my child literally won’t let me.” Okay, repeat after me, “my child is not the boss. I am the boss. I am the parent. I make the rules, not your child.” Do not let your child make the rules.
You need to consider if your child has an age appropriate schedule. Is your child taking a nap too late in the day? Are they sleeping too long?
Maybe your child has real legitimate fears. And if you’re not empathizing with these fears, then your child is more likely to misbehave at bedtime. So if your child is actually scared, then maybe you need to actually tell them that you understand their fear and you need to show them, you know, there’s no monsters under your bed. You can get your child a night light, like the Hatch Nightlight, validating their feelings and telling them that you understand.

You can give your child a distraction. There is a child’s meditation device, called Zenimal, that you turn on and your child will be able to select one from nine of these guided meditations that can distract them from whatever they may be thinking about or whatever fear they may be thinking is in their head.