It’s 2 am and your 2 year old just came bouncing in the bedroom waking up the WHOLE house. Again. Now the dog is whining because he thinks it’s time for breakfast. The cat is walking all over you trying to get you out of bed for her morning treat. And right in the middle is your little ray of sunshine just jabbering away. Does this sound familiar?
Sometimes, getting your toddler to stay in bed and sleep until the house is ready to get up can feel like it’s impossible. Their little bodies are growing and changing so fast and sometimes they do not realize they need to stay in bed and go back to sleep when they wake up in the wee hours of the morning. I’m going to share with you a few of my tips on how I have gotten my little ones to stay in bed, go back to sleep and not wake the whole house up at 2 am.
Create a Peaceful Sleep Environment
This is key! Make sure the bedroom is not cluttered with toys. Otherwise, your toddler/preschooler is going to be getting up at 2 am and playing Monster Jam in the middle of the bedroom floor instead of sleeping. If you have a tv in the room do not leave the remote in the room at night. We always take the remotes out of the bedrooms and place them on a hall table. That way there’s no mid-night binge watching of any cartoons.
Cozy Bed
This can mean so many different things. When Peyton was little she wanted a toddler bed so she felt safe and secure. Then she needed her pillows, particular blankets, and a few plush animals. For Jamison it means he needs a big bed with light bedding, he’s more of a minimalist. Take cues from your little one on how they like their sleep environment. Each child is different and what works for one may not work for another.
Develope Cues or Signs so They Know When to Stay in Bed
This is key! Your little one probably doesn’t know how to tell time. They are not sure about when it’s 7 am. This is where the Sleep Buddy comes in. Sleep Buddy is a little visual training aid to help your child know when they should stay in bed and when they can get out. You program it with the time frame you would like your child to stay in bed. During those times, the Sleep Buddy lights up, your child knows they are supposed to stay in bed when Sleep Buddy is on. When it’s time for your little one to get out of bed, the Sleep Buddy turns off. Sounds simple, right? It is! Children need visual cues to help train their bodies and minds on when they should be sleeping.
The Sleep Buddy was designed by a mom of 7! Yes, you read that right, she had 7 children. Sleep Buddy was designed to help us help our little ones get more sleep and help moms not lose their sanity because they are sleep deprived.
Routine
Try to develop a consistent night time routine. My children thrive on routine. They know what order we do things in after dinner and it helps to keep them on track. They know when we get to brushing teeth and putting on PJs that bedtime is just around the corner. There are no surprises so we rarely have conflicts. Try to create a routine that works for your family and stick to it as much as possible.
I’ve had to sleep train a few children over the years and I’ll be honest, it’s not always easy or fun. But it has to be done. Children need the sleep so they can grow and develop into healthy adolescents, they also need the sleep so they can learn and be alert. And we parents need the kids to sleep so we can sleep! If no one is sleeping it is going to become one cranky household.
We’ve been using the Sleep Buddy for a few weeks with Jamison. He was very eager to check out the Sleep Buddy and was excited to use it hte first few times. But it did take a little coaxing and reminders for him to get with the program. Inside the Sleep Buddy box there was a reward chart that I used with him. He’s only three so I rewarded him when he stayed in bed when the Sleep Buddy was on. And it worked! He’s getting more sleep and so are we. The house is a much happier home when everyone is getting enough sleep.
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