3 Easy Ways To Set Your Toddler Up For A Good Night’s Sleep

Little people bring so much joy to life, though boy do they come with their challenges. Bedtime is right up there with the best of them!

Hands up Mums who have sat outside their bedroom door at night hoping the bedtime story worked… You are not alone.

Setting your toddler up for a good night’s sleep takes time, though there are certain things that can help speed things along.

Pour yourself a cuppa and take a read of these easy ways to help get your little one settled into a good sleeping routine and enjoy a smoother bedtime. 

1. Embrace the magic of a sleeping routine 

Us Mum’s and toddlers are not so different when it comes to sleep. We need it to function and feel good.

Though it is exceptionally important between the ages of one and two when so much growth and development is taking place.

Toddlers are recommended to clock up to 14 hours a night plus one or two daytime naps. Nice life, eh? Still, many tiny tots struggle to get to sleep leading to irritable nights, tantrums and not so fun mornings.

The first thing that can help is to try and get them into a set routine for bedtime and naps. Keeping things consistent will get your little one used to when they are supposed to be resting, playing and eating so their energy stays balanced throughout the day. i

It may take a few weeks to get them settled though once in the swing of a good sleeping routine, you can relax more too. Try to keep nap times the same every day too.

This will help them tap into a natural rhythm of feeling awake and sleep- plus you’ll be able to enjoy regular downtime.

Schedule some coffee breaks and have a scroll through your favourite blogs. Yes, you definitely deserve it, you need your rest too.  

2. Make them as comfortable as possible

Next up for a smoother bedtime is to make sure your little one is super comfy. Yep, turns out toddlers can be pretty fussy when it comes to what they sleep on.

When choosing their pillow there’s a lot to consider from filling and size to fabric. Finding the perfect resting spot takes a bit of homework, you want a pillow that supports their head and spine alignment.

This means getting the height just right, not too high, too low, a bit like Goldilocks porridge. A kids bamboo memory foam pillow is a smart choice.

The pressure-sensitive foam adapts to their sleeping position as they wriggle around throughout the night while naturally, hypoallergenic bamboo is soft and gentle on their delicate skin.

The more they love their pillow, the better they sleep and finding the right one will have you both waking up feeling like heroes.

Consistent, comfortable rest helps them to grow strong and snuggled into a supportive pillow they will be drifting off before you finish the bedtime story. 

3. Replace screen time with sleepy time

Speaking of bedtime stories, they are a great way to end the day. Replacing screen time with reading them their favourite stories can help with the production of melatonin which gets them feeling sleepy.

Keep two hours before bed a Peppa-Pig free zone and make the environment as sleep-friendly as possible.

Pop phones on silent and play gentle music, make sure the room is as dark as possible and keep the temperature nice and cool.

Having a bath is a good way to have them ready to snuggle under the duvet, the warm water will relax them and their body temperature will drop naturally by the time they are in their PJ’s.

Avoiding sugar and anything too heavy is also a good idea to give the digestive system a chance to relax.

If they like a bedtime snack go for something gentle like a banana which gives them a little magnesium or yoghurt is nice and easy and packs in some good protein.

This will stop them from waking up hungry and give them a nice dose of vitamins to work their overnight magic.

Getting your little one into a healthy sleeping routine takes a bit of trial and error as most parenting.

Every toddler is different though if you stay consistent, you will get there. Remember to go easy on yourself and reach out for help if you need it, whether it’s to let off steam with a good old rant or reading up on tips and advice from other Mum’s.

You are doing great and all they really care about is having you tuck them in at night, make the most of every precious moment and remember to take that time out for yourself.

Before you know it, you will both be falling back in love with bedtime. Sweet Dreams.