How to Get a Toddler to Sleep Independently
Getting a toddler to sleep on her own can be challenging for both parent and child. According to Dr. Alan Green, a well known "natural" pediatrician, it is an intimate action for a parent to rock a child to bed. But when the baby grows into a toddler, he needs to learn how to comfort himself to develop healthy sleep habits. And if you follow these simple steps, helping your toddler develop these healthy sleep habits will be easier than ever.
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Instructions
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Develop a bedtime ritual. According to Dr. Green, you can add one new step to your ritual a week until you come up with a system that both you and baby enjoy. Some steps in your routine can include a bath, a bedtime story, some rocking, a song.
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Understand why your child has trouble sleeping. According to Dr. Green, toddlers often have trouble falling back to sleep when they learn something new. Teething and other sicknesses can also make your toddler stay awake. When you understand what's keeping baby up, you'll have a better idea of how to help her get back to sleep on her own.
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Guide baby to self-soothing. One of the best tools you can give your child is the ability to calm himself. When baby wakes up in the middle of the night, help him get back to a comfortable position where he can fall back to sleep independently. If you pick him up and rock or feed your toddler, Dr. Green suggests, he won't develop this habit.
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Offer help if your toddler has a need that prevents her from falling back asleep. According to Family Education, toddlers don't wake up in the middle of the night to bother parents. When they wake, something is usually wrong. If you've ruled out that it's excitement or just the ability to do something new, offer aid. Your child might be cold, wet, alarmed by loud noises, sick, etc. If you give your child the aid she needs, you'll develop a bond of trust. And this will allow your child to sleep independently, knowing you will come to the rescue if he needs you.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't be alarmed if your child goes through phases of sleeping through the night then waking up. Dr. Green states that this is normal. It may be related to your child's stage of growth and development.
