Setting Up a Bedtime Routine for Your Toddler

It is hard to say that you can set a bedtime for a toddler because toddlers have very little sense of time like older children and adults. Toddlers pretty much go with the flow, dinner may roll around the same time everyday but they are not paying attention to that and just excepting that they are hungry and there is food. While it would be nice to think at the end of the day all you have to say is that it is bedtime and your toddler will happily lay down and go to sleep this is not the case. You can however have a routine leading to when you toddler goes to sleep.

Your routine will last your whole day, but mostly will be important at the end of the day. It is very important that you toddler gets plenty of exercise every day and that they nap for the appropriate amount of time. Don't stress about waking you toddler up from a nap if you think that they are sleeping too long, just focus on seeing that they are active enough after their nap to be tired at the end of the day. Make sure that they have had an evening snack so that they will not be hungry at the time you plan on encouraging them to go to sleep or have an uncomfortable tummy at that time. If your toddler is still nursing you can often fill their belly while you comfort them to sleep by nursing.

Change their diaper right before you think that they will be sitting in your lap ready to fall asleep, it is certainly easier to fall asleep when you have a dry diaper on. Also many parents like to add a bath to their toddler's bedtime routine. From the time that they are showing signs that they could be going to sleep soon, like if they are all ready for bed with a dry diaper and pajamas and sitting in your lap, to the time that they fall asleep keep the environment very mellow. If your watching TV turn the volume to low, use captions if you need to and have all or most of the lights off. Make a point to have the bed unmade so you can carry them and lay them down with out attempting to unmake a bed. By having bath time around the same time everyday you will be making the time that they are going to sleep around the same time too. For this reason it is a good idea not to give them their bath too early.

Going to sleep too early can actually be a very bad thing. It may seem like all it takes for your toddler to fall asleep is a good day of playing and exercising, a soothing warm bath just before bed, dim lights and a mellow atmosphere and they wall asleep in your lap cozy in their pajamas. Suddenly you have hours more in your evening than you normally have to do what you need to do knowing that you little angel is fast asleep. However often falling asleep too early will result in your toddler waking just before you go to bed yourself, or waking in the middle of the night ready to start their day. Tips for Getting Your Toddler Back to Sleep offers tips on just that, how to get your toddler back to sleep when they have got up to early.

It is good to expect and except that your bed routine will not work every single night. Some days are going to better than others. The important thing is to set realistic goals and too be flexible on days where your toddler just isn't that tired at their "bedtime." The important thing is that they are getting enough sleep for their health and not at what time they go to bed.