How to Get Toddler to Stay in Bed: 8 Useful Tips

As toddlers mature, their bodies and minds must adapt to the change of weaning themselves off of naps and appreciating the advantages of a long night’s sleep. Between the ages of two and three, the typical toddler’s sleep requirements decrease to about ten and a half hours per night plus an hour and a half afternoon nap. While most four-year-olds no longer nap daily, they still require eleven and a half hours of sleep at night. They also occasionally need a nap, but only for about 45 minutes each afternoon. Five-year-olds sleep for approximately eleven hours each night. Even so, some quiet time in the afternoon can be very helpful to you both. But it can be difficult to convince your young child to stay in bed.

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Tips to Get Toddlers to Stay in Bed

Stick to a Routine

Your toddler should have a regular bedtime, so establish one and stick to it consistently. Children who have regular bedtimes are more likely to get enough sleep and are less likely to exhibit signs of exhaustion, such as irritability and clinginess.

Every night, allow up to an hour for relaxing activities like taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book in low light, or listening to soft music. An enjoyable and calming activity ought to be chosen.

Consistency and low stimulation should be the norm. Avoid engaging in active play, video game playing, or TV (or another device) watching because these activities may energize rather than calm your child. The final few minutes of quiet time should be spent in your child’s bedroom. Toddlers must learn to go to bed awake and to do so on their own.

Meet the Sleep Fairy

The sleep fairy rewards kids in the morning, much like the tooth fairy, but in this case, it’s for staying in bed and sleeping on their own.

It’s not necessary for the reward to be lavish. Give them a quarter or a little gift if you can.

Even better, gather little things that lead to rewards in a jar or box.

To remind them of their reward when they wake up, you can place the jar close to their bed. Your child earns a fun activity, like visiting a park or an arcade when it is full.

The parent is removed from the situation, which is the appeal of the sleep fairy. In the morning, when your child says, “Look what the sleep fairy brought me,” you reply, “Wow, you must have slept well.”

This is a fantastic method for the creative child, though it might not work right away. Parents are the best experts on their children and can predict how they will react to this technique.

Try a Sticker Chart

Children are encouraged with rewards. Using a bedtime chart with a sticker system is another way to reward your child.

‘Look, I’ll stay with you for a little while, but then you’ll go to bed,’ you say to your child in this situation. Additionally, if you sleep in all night, you’ll wake up with a sticker.

He continues, “The sleep fairy, charts, and stickers are especially helpful for the child with a strong will.” To help them comprehend the benefits of doing the right thing, it gives them a new objective and point of focus.

Check in With a Second Good Night

Does your child say, “I’m afraid, so please stay!” at bedtime? This technique can soothe your child, assist them in relaxing, and teach their bodies how to go to sleep.

When you say goodnight to your child, let them know that you’ll be back in 15 minutes for another goodnight.

When you come back, your child is likely to still be awake. You may decide to reward them (perhaps with a sticker chart) if they have been sleeping soundly.

Delay the second good night gradually after that. Your kid will feel safer and start to unwind if they know you’ll be back.

For the second goodnight, your child will soon be sleepy and half asleep. Leave the room as soon as you hear “Goodnight.”

How to Get Toddler to Stay in Bed: 8 Useful Tips

‘Big Kid’ Reminders

While they’ll always be your little baby, many toddlers take encouragement that they’re no longer babies well. Reminders along the lines of, “You’re a big kid now, and big kids get to sleep in their own beds,” can help to make them feel proud and grown up.

Separation Anxiety

Children of this age are master procrastinators, and any feelings of loneliness or apprehension at night only help them get better at it. As parents, we must enforce some rules at bedtime while maintaining coziness. Help them with those episodes of the creepies that make going to bed difficult even when they aren’t making stalling a sport. Sincerely point out the dangers posed by the creatures under their bed. Before they turn off the lights, assist them in checking there and in the closets for security. In order to avoid those stall strategies, it is our responsibility to make sure they have eaten before bed and used the restroom before tuck-in. Following a night of brushing their teeth, they should take a sip of water. Your best defense is a good offense, day or night, at any time!

You will need to implement change from a variety of perspectives if your toddler requires you to lie down with them, rub their backs while they sleep, or sing them to sleep.

Family Picture Time

Reminding your toddler that you are nearby can be helpful if they are anxious about being left alone. Keeping a family photo in your toddler’s room is advised by Dr. Sherman. Remind them that they can look at the picture or kiss it if they ever feel lonely.

Use a Wake-up Clock

Does your child wake up too early or frequently during the night? They can be reminded to get out of bed by a wake-up clock or toddler alarm clock.

For young children who don’t understand time yet (and thus don’t accept that it’s 4 a.m. isn’t the time to wake up), some clocks use colors to let them know when it’s an acceptable time to wake.