Getting toddlers to sleep can be tricky! They’re on the go from dawn until dusk and sometimes the last thing they want is to end the fun by shutting their peepers.

So we asked certified infant and child sleep consultant Kelly Martin to take us through her top tips to help toddlers sleep well at night. Here’s what she shared:

Top Toddler Sleep Tips

1. Don’t move to a big bed too early – ideal age is 2.5-3 years. This is due to toddlers having an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex which inhibits their ability for impulse control. This means without the physical boundary of a cot, we are often placing too much pressure/responsibility on our toddlers to stay in their bed for 10-12 hours overnight. Safety naturally comes first so if they are climbing out of their cot, then of course this must take priority.

2. Aim to keep a day nap to between 2.5-3 years of age. We often see nap resistance around 2 years which is known as the 2 year sleep regression. I encourage you to keep offering the nap. Whilst every toddler will having a vary amount of day sleep from 30-45 minutes up to 2 hours, the goal is to allow a minimum of 30-60 minutes rest time. If they are refusing for more than 3 days a week for 3 weeks, then we know the nap is ready to fade out.

3. Consistency – toddlers thrive on routine and consistent. We want to give a predictable response to bedtime and overnight sleep expectations. It is natural and normal that they test boundaries, but we want to remain confident and consistent with what behaviour is acceptable at bedtime.

Common Toddler Sleep Issues

Kelly also highlighted some of the most common sleep issues that she sees in toddlers, and how to tackle them. One of the biggest issues is bedtime delays.

“Toddlers like to have a million and one things on their to do list when it comes to bedtime,” says Kelly. “Ensure that you set up a predictable wind down routine. A bedtime routine chart can assist to keep them focussed on their bedtime routine and tick off each process so that there’s no room for that ‘one more’ request. I have a Free bedtime routine chart which can be downloaded here.”

Kelly is also seeing lots of toddlers’ sleep impacted by the amount of screen time they’re getting during the day.

“There has been a large increase in screen time over the past two years which I have seen negatively impact on toddler’s sleep. We know that the blue light from electronic devices such as I-pads, TVs and mobile phones can have a negative impact on a toddler’s ability to wind down and switch off for sleep. In an ideal world we would limit screen time to 30-60 minutes each day and turn it off from 3:00/4:00pm each afternoon. Serotonin is our happy hormones which is produced in the daylight, so we encourage toddlers to get out in the natural sunlight in the late afternoon to promote serotonin levels which then converts and releases to melatonin in the darkened sleep space at night.”

Biggest Toddler Sleep Myth

What about the biggest toddler sleep myth? “The biggest one I see is in relation to transitioning to a big bed too early or dropping a nap too early. Toddlers should encourage be encouraged to continue using their sleeping bag/sleep suit until 2.5-3 years of age as they often struggle with blankets and will wake in the early hours of the morning between 3:00-5:00am when they are cold and then struggle to return to sleep due to the lightest sleep phase.”

Kelly was recently engaged to speak on the LittleOak podcast The Little Life, as part of her role in the Nighttime Perks campaign, highlighting the challenges parents face with their children’s sleep. She said it was an opportunity to support and educate families around realistic expectations for toddler sleep.

“Toddlers aren’t ‘too old’ for sleep support, but they require a different approach to take into account their cognitive development. Toddlers thrive on routine and consistency and if they can feel validated and supported when it comes to sleep, this will allow them to go to sleep and stay asleep for much longer.”

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