The Most Helpful Tips To Make The Bedtime Routine A Breeze
Is your child’s bedtime routine a nightmare? You are not alone! Many parents struggle to get their child to bed - but it doesn’t have to be that way! You can have a calm and relaxed baby or toddler come bedtime, making the bedtime routine a breeze! Imagine this: you put your baby to bed for the night, they drift off to sleep peacefully and you get to spend the night doing whatever you wish, such as spending time with your partner, reading that book you’ve been meaning to read or maybe an evening out with your friends! In order for that to happen, you must be sure that these 6 things listed below are avoided - or you will have a long and frustrating bedtime ahead of you!
Under tiredness
The infamous cousin of over tiredness, under tiredness, is something you want to avoid just as much as you do over tiredness. It can cause the same symptoms as over tiredness and is equally not as fun. When a baby or toddler is getting too much daytime sleep, this will affect the bedtime routine. An under-tired baby/toddler will be very hard to settle at bedtime and it may take a very long time for them to go to sleep - which ends up causing parents to become frustrated and overwhelmed - not fun. Making sure to get their wake window just right can ensure that your child is not under tired come bedtime.
Overtiredness
An overtired baby is also not easy to settle, but instead of just wanting to have a crib party, an overtired baby is very cranky and fussy. They are more likely to scream and cry than an under-tired baby would. An overtired baby may even come off as hyperactive as the cortisol levels hit a peak - many parents get this confused with being under tired, but trust me when I say a hyperactive baby is an overtired baby! This can cause the bedtime routine to be a nightmare because your baby is too tired to even function properly. This can also cause frequent wakes at night, early morning wakes and short naps during the day.
Too Much Light, Not Enough Dark
If your child’s room is too light because the curtains aren’t dark enough to keep the light out or they have a nightlight then this can make it hard for a baby/toddler to settle. A room that is very dark and is calm and relaxing is very helpful when it comes to them settling well for bedtime. This is important for the release of the sleep hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is released in the dark, so having a dark room will ensure that the hormone is being released and your baby can drift off into a deep, restorative sleep. If a room is too bright, melatonin has a harder time being released and can make it hard for your baby/toddler to settle and may even cause early morning wakes. Keeping the room dark is super important!
Hunger
A hungry baby is not easily settled and usually won’t sleep well either! With an older baby and a toddler, you will want to make sure they are getting the proper amount of nutrients throughout the day so that come bedtime they are not hungry and hard to settle. With a younger baby, they tend to cluster feed right before bedtime making it a very long, drawn-out event. Cluster feeding usually means a baby can sleep for a good stretch after that, so timing bedtime relevantly can be helpful.
Too Much Stimulation
If a child becomes overstimulated before bedtime it will be difficult to get them to sleep. With a younger baby, all it takes is too much light or noise and they can become overstimulated and hard to settle at bedtime. A toddler can easily become overstimulated when the bedtime routine turns into playtime. It’s too hard for a toddler to be able to go from tickle party to bedtime. They need that time to wind down and relax before being able to go to sleep. So unfortunately that tickle party before sleep isn’t such a great idea (I’m talking to you dads)! In order for a baby/toddler to settle better for bedtime, they should have a bedtime routine that is calming and relaxing with dim lights and little to no noise.
Fluffing
Anyone who has a toddler that just recently moved to a toddler bed knows what fluffing is. A toddler who isn’t used to being in a toddler bed will more than likely find any reason to get out of bed and get your attention. They do not care if that attention is good or bad - they just want your attention and a reason to get out of bed! One reason the bedtime routine can be a miss in this scenario is the nap during the day. If your toddler is taking a nap that is too long or too close to bedtime, then they just won’t be tired enough come bedtime (under tired). But, if the nap is on point then this would be a behavioural issue and most easily solved with sleep training (you can check out my website if you’d like to start some sleep training for your little one, I’d be more than happy to assist).
If you liked this content and you want more like it, then you’d love my Facebook group called Sleep Little One. In this group, I give advice and tips to overtired parents who are trying to improve their child’s sleep. Come and join us, you won’t regret it! It may be all you need to get your child and your family the sleep you all so desperately need!
Thanks for reading,
