Once asleep, most toddlers sleep through most nights without waking Mom or Dad. But at this age, getting them to bed in the first place can be a challenge. Toddlers love to test their independence. A firm and consistent bedtime routine will win them over.
Toddler sleep schedule
A common daily sleep schedule looks like this:
7am - Wake up
1pm - Nap of no more than 2 hours
3pm - Wake up
7pm - Bedtime
If your toddler’s day nap is too long or too late in the day, your child might not be ready for bed until late at night.
Some toddlers like to wake up with the birds at 5.30 am or 6 am. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about it. Putting your toddler to bed later at night in the hope of later starts in the morning doesn’t tend to work. Your toddler might still wake up early and be grouchy from too little sleep.
If you live with an early riser, you might want to move his bedtime earlier as well, as that can help with an early riser.
Bedtime routine
A consistent bedtime routine helps prepare a child for sleep. Most toddlers are ready for bed between 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm. This is a good time, because they sleep deepest between 8 pm and midnight.
A routine might look something like this:
6:15pm - Take a bath
6:30pm - Bedtime Routine
6:45pm - Quiet time (read a book or tell a story)
7:00pm - Into bed and kiss goodnight
If your child takes a pacifier to bed, you might consider saying goodbye to it at around three years old.
Getting up after bedtime
Your toddler might go through a stage of calling out from bed or getting up after you have said goodnight. Try these tips:
Avoid boisterous play before bedtime. This can make it harder for your child to settle.
Establish a consistent, calming bedtime routine.
Before leaving the room, check that your child has everything needed. Remind your child to stay quietly in bed.
Try not to respond to your child’s calls after you have turned the light out, no matter how loud the protests. If you respond, your child will try the same thing again next bedtime.
If your child gets out of bed, you can:
return your child to bed firmly and quietly over and over until there’s no more getting up
return your child to bed once. If your child gets up again, close the bedroom door and ignore all further protests.
It’s important to find the strategy that works for you and stick with it.
