For any parent, a good night's sleep is worth its weight in gold. But for babies and toddlers in particular, poor sleep habits are extremely common. Sometimes there's a good reason, such as illness or hunger or a development spurt. But quite, often, a child's sleep environment is the culprit.
Ask yourself the following:
1. Is the room too warm? Babies fuss when overheated, so keep the temperature around 68 degrees F. Use light layers so you can remove a blanket if you need to and be sure your baby is placed to sleep on her/his back to reduce SIDS risk.
2. Is your child overtired? All youngsters need transition time before sleep, so try to introduce quiet activities before both bed and nap-time. Bath,s stories and dim lights are often the secret to success.
3. Is your child under-tired? As babies transition to toddler-hood their nap schedules often need to adjust. Experiment with the length and timing of daytime sleep first. Keep a journal to keep track of patterns.
4. Is the noise level okay? Contrary to popular believe babies will sleep through lots of noise. But toddlers are easily distracted and don't want to miss any action. Keep noise outside their room to a minimum as they drift off to sleep.
5. Is your child anxious? At certain stages, babies and toddlers have separation anxiety. To ease their fears, play soothing music, leave a nightlight on and allow one soft lovey in their crib or bed.
Some children have a hard time falling asleep, but sleep through the night. Others drift off quite nicely, but awaken often during the night. Some need more soothing than others. There is non one-size-fits-all solution to sleep problems, but with these tips in mind you can say "good night" and mean it!
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