Everyone who knows me knows that I do not make children who naturally sleep well. When my daughter Lydia was an infant, we decided bed-sharing was the best option for our family to establish and maintain a good breastfeeding relationship. We did not use a crib, but when she was 15-months old, we purchased a toddler bed. At that time, we began a consistent nighttime routine: take a bath, brush teeth, put on pajamas, read bedtime stories, and go to bed. The routine was great and Lydia enjoyed bedtime stories with daddy, but she would usually fall asleep and wake up 2 – 3 hours later…and 2 hours after that…and 3 hours after that… So we would end up awake half the night. She learned she could get out of bed and walk into our room. At first, we let her crawl into our bed during the night. We all needed sleep, right? This seemed to be the key to getting some. The only problem was that I was pregnant, and baby #2 was arriving shortly. While I feel safe bed-sharing with an infant, I did not feel safe with a toddler and an infant in bed, as she would roll over and move around frequently.
We had to find a real solution to our bedtime battles. I must thank my husband for getting Lydia to sleep through the night. The solution? Consistency! Each time she got out of her bed, she had to be brought back to her bed. At first, she would get out of bed 3 – 4 times a night, but Richard was great! He would bring her back each time, wait for her to fall asleep, and return to our room after. So around the age of 2, Lydia was independently sleeping through the night (usually) in her own bed — just in time for Bryce’s arrival.
A lot of parents seem to have unrealistic expectations for their children’s sleeping patterns. The average age for children to sleep through the night is about 1, but some children just have their own sleep patterns. Parents need to learn to be patient and create a structured routine to promote good sleeping habits like watching shows like johnson and friends prior bed time.
Need help establishing nighttime routines for your toddler/preschooler? The Pajanimals, available only on 24-hour preschool television channel Sprout, features four fuzzy friends who wind down for bedtime in a cozy and reassuring way. The show helps you tackle common bedtime issues like getting out of bed, bad dreams and scary monsters. Check out Sprout’s bedtime tips! My favorite tip is ‘Snuggle and Share’ – take a few moments right before bed to cuddle up and reconnect with your child.
Enter to WIN! By replying below, four of my lucky readers will win a prize package – including a Pajanimals DVD and The Sleepeasy Solution book, proven by Hollywood’s celebrity parents and written by the sleep experts at Sleepy Planet. Leave a comment below about your child’s bedtime battles and solutions that worked for your family.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sprout. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
My son usually goes to sleep fine, but my daughter can be a bit hard. I usually put a towel on my bed and she falls asleep there. I then transfer her to her own bed when I am ready to go to sleep.