Close Your Eyes

Is your little one keeping you awake at night by refusing to go to sleep in his own room? Here’s how you can teach him to take to his bed independently

- Sister Ann Richardson

As soon as your toddler outgrows his cot and makes the transition into a ‘big bed’, there may be some high jinks at bedtime! Some children simply find this newfound freedom a wonderful excuse for prolonged bedtimes, plus frequent visits to mom and dad’s bedroom throughout the night. If you have no issues with this, and love having your toddler sleep with you, read no further!

Seriously, though, many parents do want to foster night-time independence in their toddlers, and really do feel quite desperate at the thought of another night spent negotiating with a roaming toddler.

Before looking at bedtime and sleep itself, you need to be sure your toddler is primed for good sleep habits. A clean bill of health is a good start, as is a zone that supports sleep.

Make sure his room is entirely safe so that he can’t harm himself. At this age, he already has deeply entrenched expectations and associations related to where and how he goes to sleep, and you can use them to your advantage. Keep the light very dim and muted or use a night light, so that your toddler is never left alone in the dark.

By now you know the importance of a regular day sleep routine, but a regular bedtime routine is just as important. Bedtime is often the period when your little toddler is at his most unsettled. If there’s no pattern to his bedtime rituals— such as a quiet bath, followed by the last drink of the day (that’s milk, not wine!) in a calm sleep zone—your little toddler won’t begin to recognize the necessary sensory cues that prompt sleep.