Everything about toddler sleep, duration, and safety

Sleep or lack of it might be the most-mentioned thing of toddler care. As new parents fast find out, the amount of sleep the toddler get affects everyone in the family. And sleep struggles rarely stop when a toddler grows up from a baby in a crib to a bed. From endless cries, it becomes pleas or refusals to sleep; in place of a three a.m. feeding, it's a  scream from nightmare or request to go to the washroom or to drink water.

From ages 1 to three, toddler sleeps about 12 to 14 hours over a 24-hour length. Separation anxiety, or just looking to be up with parents can encourage a toddler to stay awake. Toddlers usually express their reluctance to sleep by just stating "No!".

It is best to set up a bedtime routine to assist kids to relax and get ready for sleep. For the little one, the routine might be five-half-hour long, consisting of calming activities such as reading a tale, bathing, and paying attention to soothing music. Regardless of the nightly ritual is, your toddler may insist that it to be the same each night time. Just do not allow rituals to be too long or complicated.

It is common for kids to continue napping as a toddler. Between the age of one and two, he may have one brief nap and have one long sleep. Based on Rachel Waddilove in Sleep soIutions: Quiet Nights for You and Your child from birth to 5 years, if your toddler naps for 45 mins to an hour in the morning, he/ she has to sleep for two hours after lunch.

Many kids depend on a lovey, like a unique blanket or plush animal to get an amazing night time's relaxation. It becomes a sleep dependency for a good night sleep. 

If your child awakes at night and cry out, it's may be due to dropping of his/her favourite cuddle off the bed or even a nightmare of losing his cuddle. Return or assure him with the cuddle to get your child back to sleep. 

To help to get to sleep easily, it is better for toddlers to have a fixed place that is specifically for sleep. Be it be in a crib, a stroller, or at the couch, there should be one napping spot to help your toddler associate this place as a relaxation area. Create a sleep nest by way of choosing a comfortable corner and piling it with any blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals to soothe your toddler.

Many toddlers keep themselves awake due to the fact they want to be with the parents. Setting up regular bedtimes and naptimes can assist with this problem. If it's in the afternoon and your baby is unable to nap, plan some quiet downtime to transit to a nap. If it's midnight, it is possible your toddler has the fear of the dark. Younger toddlers aren't usually afraid of the dark. you can get him/ her a night light in the bedroom to keep soft lights turned on.

There are some steps to train your child to sleep on time so that you can spend some "me" or couple time with your partner while your young one has his/her zzzs.

Toddler sleep issues may be due to a packed timetable resulting in an excitable child who does not want to sleep. Take a look at your toddler’s daytime schedule – are naps placed in between high energy activities? Are naps themselves too long? An excessive amount of nap can bring about less sleep at night. You can use the schedule as a useful resource to compare to his/her other peers and discuss with other parents or observe your child to create a customized sleep schedule optimized for sleeping well.

Toddlers may throw a tantrum while getting accustomed to the sleep training. The irony is, your child may also throw a tantrum and don't reply properly to you when he/ she does not get sufficient sleep! During these times, keep calm and remain cool as it is just a passing phase. 

Staying calm is important – staying consistent is also important. Most toddlers are quite clever about this; in the event that they sense that they are able to breach any of your sleep boundaries, they will clearly do it. So even though it is going to be tough, keep tight to your sleep routine for at least 3 months. If you do, it’ll pay off soon, and your own sleep duration can be higher!

Your child may be sleeping well for a while without much disturbance at night. Out of the blue, the cycle is disrupted when he/ she keeps waking up in the middle of the night, refused to go back to sleep or simply declare that he/she does not want to sleep anymore. These random occurrences are toddler sleep regression and some common explanation from your child are:
 

1. Nightmares
2. Outgrowing Naps
3. Thirsty and a need for water
4. Sleepwalking
5. Wanting parents
6. Insisting of not being tired
7. Monsters

While some sleep troubles are common, regardless of your child’s age, different toddler sleep issues are particular to toddlerhood. It’s key to understand what types sleep problems you will be facing as your child enters into the toddler years.

As soon as your toddler is out of his crib and right into a huge-kid mattress, you’ll most probably have experienced this, what we name, the jack-in-the-container behavior of your toddler will jumping out and away from the bed, and you having to tuck him in again.

There are several huge nap transitions during toddlerhood: Your toddler will transition from multiple naps at around 15-18 months to just one nap at  3 and 4 years of age. These nap transitions result in toddlers taking a brief nap  or even skipped naptime. This can result in crankiness from tiredness and bedtime drama.

Your little one has a budding imagination which can create bedtime fears, making bedtime a hectic time for you and your little one.

Once more, this won’t be a problem for every toddler. However, for some, early waking of the toddler may be huge trouble. The reasons for early waking are numerous: A few toddlers sincerely want less sleep time (which translate to an early wake time), whilst others wake early due to the fact their rooms are bright. Some may just wake early because they're simply excited to begin the day (maybe new toys that they could not stop platying!).

Essentially, a sleep sack is a wearable blanket for your child or toddler. Using a toddler sleep sack can help your child to establish a sense of coziness and comfort in sleeping. A sleep sack can also reduce tossing and turning of the child, making it a good night sleep for him/her.

Invest in a good sleeping sack to earn some sleep time yourself and for your toddler!

Sleep duration vary based on age. Establish a sleep routine by training your toddler by setting boundaries, using yourself as a good role modal. It may be tough at the start and your toddler may resist the training. However, with a consistent approach, you will reap the fruits of labor to have a child disciplined in his/her sleeping habit.