Guest Post

Nicole Yontz is a stay at home mom in Arizona and a personal blogger at TheBetterHalfBlogs.com.

As the mother of a three year old, I spend my days worrying about pretty much anything under the sun. From picking up bad habits at school to eating dirt, I worry about it all. But one thing I don’t worry about is her sleep. See, she comes from a long line of sleepers. I myself would rather get a gift card for a nap than a massage. And as a child, when the rest of the family was waking I was quietly sneaking into my parents bed where my dad was snoring away knowing nobody was going to bother him (therefore me as well).

I am proud to admit that from the get-go she was a great sleeper. In fact, I had problems keeping her awake in order to feed her since she slept though the night a full 8 hours by nine weeks old. (Feel free to send your hate mail this way.) However, I know not all children are blessed in this area and, rest assured, I am fully aware that our next child will be a night owl with severe separation anxiety because that’s just how mom karma works.

So how much sleep does your toddler really need? The answer to this is between 10-14 hours over a 24-hour period, depending on your child. But if your child is having trouble in this area, there are things you can do to help your child get a better, more restful, night sleep. We as parents, often make the mistake of keeping our kids up thinking they will be more tired, therefore sleep better. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. It actually makes kids over tired, which makes it hard for them to sleep.

Here are some tips and for more ideas, check out WhatToExpect.com for more sleep training strategies.

First, in helping your child sleep better create a good sleep schedule that works realistically for your family. We all know things happen and life is not always predictable but having a set bed and nap time for your child will make the transition much smoother as your child will know, and expect, what is coming. Keep in mind when setting your nap time that the closer it is to bed time, the harder your child will have getting to sleep.

Next, develop your own bedtime routine. From bath time to bedtime stories, your bedtime routine can consist of whatever you want as long as it ends with your little one tucked snuggly in bed. In our house, we have bath time followed by 30 minutes of quiet TV time, then a book or two, prayers and finally me snuggling her in with her “woobie.” It happens the same way every night so there are no surprises and no fights.

Lastly, stay away from the long goodbye. We all know this one, it starts with a kiss and a hug, then one more kiss, one more hug, a glass of water, a trip to the bathroom, searching the house for a particular toy and the next thing you know you’re been trying to tuck your little one in for an hour. Don’t do this! Set limits on what you will allow. If your little one uses the same excuses to keep you close, head them off at the pass. For example, when you’re changing him into his PJs, have him potty and take a drink then. On the way to the bedroom, grab all stuffed animals he would need on the way, saying goodnight to the rest.

Sweet dreams!