How To Help 2 Year Old Sleep Through The Night?
If your two-year-old is still waking up in the middle of the night, it can be frustrating for everyone involved. Here are a few tips to help your child (and you!) get a good night's sleep:
Create a bedtime routine
A bedtime routine helps signal to your child that it's time to wind down and go to sleep. A typical routine might include a bath, some quiet playtime, brushing teeth, and reading a story.
Put your child to bed sleepy but awake
This may sound counterintuitive, but it's important that your child learns to fall asleep on their own. Try putting them in their bed when they're drowsy but still awake, and let them drift off to sleep on their own.
Limit screen time before bed
The bright light from screens can stimulate the brain and make it harder to sleep. Try to limit screen time for at least an hour before bedtime.
Don't give into demands
If your child wakes up in the middle of the night and starts making demands (for food, drink, attention, etc.), it can be tempting to give in just to get them back to sleep. But this will only reinforce the behavior and make it more likely that they'll wake up again later.
Be consistent
If you stick to the same bedtime routine every night and don't give into demands, your child will eventually learn that nighttime is for sleeping. In the meantime, be patient and keep at it - everyone will sleep better for it in the end!
- Make sure they are getting enough exercise during the day. A tired body is a sleepy body!
- Create a bedtime routine and stick to it. A bath, story, and song can be soothing and help signal to your child that it is time to sleep.
- Limit naps during the day. If they are sleeping too much during the day, they may not be as tired come nighttime.
- If your child is still waking up at night, try not to make a big deal out of it. Go in, soothe them back to sleep, and then leave again.
With a little patience and consistency, you should be able to help your two year old sleep through the night!