How to Help my Toddler Fall Asleep

One of the best things that you can do to help your toddler fall asleep at night is to avoid feeding them large meals shortly before they go to bed. In addition to this, you should also avoid giving them caffeine before bed as well. Research shows that children sleep better if they do not have caffeine for six hours before they attempt to go to bed for the night.

After you do feed them dinner, focus on quiet activities that will not get your child over stimulated before bedtime. Activities like reading a book or coloring can be peaceful and help your child get ready for bed faster. You can also give your child a bit of a warning before it is bedtime. This can help them to prepare their mind for the process of sleep.

A routine is also very important. It is typical for a toddler bedtime routine to last between 20 and 30 minutes, but you should avoid delaying it much further. Make your child comfortable in their bed and be consistent.


If your toddler does happen to call for you after you have placed them in bed, wait for a few moments before you answer them. Doing so will help them realize that you expect them to be asleep and may give them the opportunity to soothe themselves to sleep rather than relying on you to do so instead.


source: http://supportkids.org/toddler/sleep-issues/how-to-help-my-toddler-fall-asleep