Parenting a party animal: Tips for your night-owl toddler

Toddlers seem to have endless energy and it can be hard to get them to wind down before sleep. (Image: Getty)

Toddlers love to push boundaries to see what they can and can’t get away with, but if they don’t sleep … NOBODY sleeps!

Are you facing a nightly battle with your toddler at the mere mention of the word ‘bedtime’? It’s an all-too-common experience in homes all around the world.

However, sleep is essential for health and wellbeing, so it’s important to work on it to ensure that everyone in the house is getting the sleep that they need. Even party animal toddlers!

How much sleep does my toddler need?

We all know that sleep, and getting enough of it, can impact our days, however there are also health reasons that make getting enough sleep essential for our wellbeing.

Children, particularly very young children, need sleep for their growth, learning and development. It’s vital for your child’s physical health, brain function, emotional wellbeing and safety that they get the right amount of good quality sleep.

According to the Australian Government site HealthDirect, toddlers need between 10 to 13 hours (including naps) sleep every 24 hours in order to function well day to day.

The impact of not reaching those sleep goals may affect how your child will learn, and potentially impact their happiness. Not getting enough sleep may sometimes lead to mood swings, poor growth and behavioural problems.

My child wants to stay up all night

The toddler years can be full of boundary pushing. And while we want our children to feel confident enough to try new things, it would be much better for everyone if they didn’t try to assert that independence at bedtime!

It is common for toddlers to exhibit some resistance to sleep. Some may have trouble getting off to sleep and some simply may not want to stay in their bed. Fortunately, in most cases, establishing a positive sleep routine will help them feel comfortable and safe enough to drift off to the land of nod.

In some instances, if you have established a good sleep routine and your child is still facing problems falling or staying asleep, they may have a sleep problem.

HealthDirect lists common sleep problems as:

• sleepwalking
• wetting the bed
• night terrors
• teeth grinding
• snoring
• trouble breathing while asleep, or taking long pauses between breaths

If you think your child may have a sleep problem, especially if they have trouble breathing while they sleep, seek advice from a healthcare professional or your hospital emergency ward (for breathing problems).

It’s important to work on your child’s sleep schedule so everyone can rest. (Image: Getty)

Tips to help your party animal into a good sleep routine

If you are parenting a party animal, it can be a good idea to ensure they are having plenty of time to run around out of doors and really burn off their energy during the day. If time and lifestyle permit, maybe take a short walk after dinner and before bath. As well as helping use up excess energy, it can create a nice opportunity for bonding time and also a wind down.

There are few things that can help your party animal become a good sleeper:

Getting ready for bed: Toddlers are creatures of habit, and if you are consistent with your bedtime routine, it won’t take long for your little one to realise the patterns you are setting are their sleep time cues. 

A positive bedtime routine may look something like this:

• 6pm: Stop play and screen time and settle with a filling evening drink such Aptamil Gold+ Toddler.
• 6.30pm: Bath, brush teeth, fresh nappy and pyjamas
• 7pm: Quiet time to enjoy reading a book or soft music
• 7.30pm: Into bed and kiss goodnight

Make bedtime a nice time: You’re tired at the end of the day so it can be very hard facing a toddler battle every night. Try to psyche yourself up for the evening in a positive way and approach bedtime as nonchalantly and calmly as you can manage. It won’t take long for your toddler to realise that bedtime is part of their day’s routine.

Peaceful environment: Darkness is a great sleep cue. Without light and their surroundings overstimulating them, your little party animal is much more likely to give in to those wonderful sleep hormones that will see them off to the land of nod.

Repeat, repeat, repeat: You need to stay consistent and repeat the bedtime routine for several days. In the early days of your routine, you might need to tweak your own plans so you can stick to the same pattern, so your child knows what to expect. Even if you feel like it’s not working, keep going for several night so give it the best chance of working. 

Sweet sleep: The goal is to help your energetic toddler learn and understand their bedtime routine. As mentioned, good sleep is important to a child’s health and wellbeing, so it’s worth persevering – for your own wellbeing too. Providing plenty of cuddles may also help your toddler settle and feel safe as they fall into their slumber

Remember to always seek health advice from a healthcare professional. 

Aptamil Toddler has no affiliation with HealthDirect

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