A customer of mine has been having problems getting her toddler to go to bed without a serious bedtime battle. I thought I would anonymously share an excerpt of my reply to her e-mail.

…………

In the meanwhile, the first thing you must do is
associate a bedtime routine with her sleep time.
You can move the bedtime later. Get her to agree
to the exact routine and plan it out with her. Do
some drawings with a box for each stage and tick it
off together when you have done each stage.

Complete as much of the routine as possible in her
bedroom and do not let her go back downstairs once
you have started. If she does not want to go to her room,
try and make the first activity in the routine
something that she really enjoys doing. Be patient.
She will resist at first and it may take a few days
but if you are 100% consistent she will soon get the
idea. Do not negotiate with her and ignore any tactics
that she tries.

As far as signs of tiredness go, if she starts to
get hyperactive, you have let things go too late.
Start the routine when she is still calm.

Do not let her watch television in the evening. Studies
have shown that it will reduce the quality of sleep and
make it harder for her to fall asleep.

…………………….

Bedtime battles with toddlers are very common and I hope this brief post helps if you are in the same
position. You would also be wise to make sure that your toddler does not nap late in the afternoon
and that he or she gets plenty of mental and physical stimulation during the day. It will also help if you can manage to get your toddler to agree to co-operate. Sometimes giving your toddler some control like choosing their story or pajamas can make them feel more co-operative and less like doing battle.

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Filed under: General Sleep Information

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