Common Sleep Difficulties in Toddlers

Most parents at some point experience sleep difficulties when it comes to their children. For many it becomes an ongoing problem - especially children of a very young age, such as toddlers. There are several factors that can play into why a child does not want to or simply can't sleep. Nightmares, noises, lack of routine, or even stress and anxiety are some possible causes, just to name a few. Whatever the problem is, though, there is usually always a solution.

The first thing you need to do is try and figure out exactly why your child does not want to go to bed. Sometimes the answer is obvious - if he wakes up from nightmares in the middle of the night, or can't fall asleep at all due to fears of the dark or being alone, then you probably already know the answer. Other times, it isn't as easy to tell. Some children just seem to not want to sleep, and it's difficult to keep them in bed until they do fall asleep.

If it's a fear your child is dealing with, pinpoint what exactly the fear is and try to deal with it. If it's the dark, something as simple as a night light or the hall light left on can help with this. If it's something in your child's room that scares him during the night, remove it.

If it is a fear of the unknown - as in, what may be lingering underneath the bed, in the closet, or in the corners of the room - there are a few things you can try, though this is a little tougher to deal with. You can start by developing a "room sweep" routine - after tucking your child in bed, do an obvious check underneath the bed, in the closet, or wherever it is that he is afraid of at night. This can become both something fun he will look forward to, and help reassure him. Another thing you may try is to leave him with something of yours, or that smells like you - one of your own pillows, a shirt, etc. Sometimes the scent of a parent will help a toddler feel not so alone and less afraid of things - this also works for children who aren't afraid, but simply don't like to be left alone at night.

No matter what, never tease or downplay your child's fears. You may know there is no monster hiding under the bed, but to a toddler, fears can be very real. Telling him that he's just imagining things or making it up can actually make things worse. Instead, try reassuring your child and let him know that you are very close by and would never let anything bad happen to him.

Another sleeping issue in toddlers may be noises that make it hard to sleep. If he's connected to a room where there is a lot of activity even after he is put to bed, or underneath a room where people are constantly walking, chances are he will be kept alert. I noticed that my child was kept awake by the dripping faucet in the bathroom - who wouldn't find it hard to sleep while hearing a constant, annoying dripping noise? Little things that you might not readily be aware of may be something that is keeping your toddler from sleeping.

One of the most common problems in sleeping difficulties in toddlers is the lack of a routine. If you put your child to bed at different times each night, his body will never become used to it and thus won't feel tired enough to sleep when you do put him to bed. Keeping him up really late in hopes of him falling asleep easily doesn't usually help much either, as he will instead become overtired and find it hard to relax. You should definitely establish a bedtime routine in which your child is put to bed at the same time every night. It also helps to have a routine leading up to bedtime, such as a bath, an evening snack, bedtime stories, followed by bedtime. Such a routine can help any child begin to know when it's time to start winding down in preparation for sleep.

Diet can also factor in when it comes to a child's sleeplessness. Young children shouldn't have soda pop or very sugary juices - in fact, it's really best to stay away from artificial flavors and colors as much as you can, especially when bed time nears. If your toddler complains about being thirsty around bed time, always offer him water instead of anything else - if he is truly thirsty, he will drink it.

A lot of times, toddlers just love to be rebellious. There might not be any particular reason for why he is unable to stay in bed or fall asleep, but sometimes you just have to be firm about it. If he keeps getting out of bed, take him back to his room and tuck him in again. It helps to say as little as possible while you do this, as if you start having a conversation with him, it will just motivate him to keep getting out of bed. Even if you have to take him back to bed several times, eventually he will see that it is pointless and get tired of it. But if this never gets better, you can always put up a child safety gate in his doorway - if he is unable to climb over it, that is.

If he stays in bed and just constantly screams or cries for you, you can apply the system in which you will go to him and stay near his bed for a few minutes one night (without talking), and stay for a less and less amount of time each night. This can be a very helpful way in getting your toddler slowly used to the idea of staying in his bed and sleeping alone.