How to Build a Bedtime Routine For Your Toddler?
One of the toughest parts of having a kid is settling them down during bedtime. Kids between the ages of 6 months and 18 months just refuse to sleep at night, which also hampers their sleep cycle.
However, by establishing a bedtime routine for your child, you can ensure that they sleep at a desired time and get ample rest. This will allow them to have a good quality of sleep, which in turn will facilitate their growth and make them less cranky during the day. If your child refuses to sleep alone, websites such as Riff Raff offer cute sleep toys and plushies that can be your child’s sleep companion at night. Now the question is, how can you build a good bedtime routine for your little one? Let us find out in the article below:
What Is a Bedtime Routine?
A bedtime routine is a set of repetitive activities that your child does to prepare for sleep at night. These activities are aimed at relaxing your child, helping them wind down, and fall asleep. A predictable and repeated routine every day signals your child’s brain that it is time to sleep, helping them fall asleep faster.
A good bedtime routine enables your child to have a good quality of sleep. This also promotes brain development, increases attention span, and improves other essential cognitive skills. Moreover, it also enhances their mood and reduces their stress levels. The section below will look at how you can establish a good bedtime routine.
Building a Good Bedtime Routine
Here is how you can build a bedtime routine that will help your child relax, calm down, and prepare themselves for sleep:
1. Have a Set Time:
Determining when your little one will go to sleep solely depends on your family’s lifestyle. But when you encourage your child to sleep at the same time every day, you help them prepare themselves to rest mentally. This establishes a set routine for them, which allows them to feel safe and secure. Now, one thing you must know if you are a new parent is that your child’s bedtime will be earlier than yours because kids need more sleep and rest compared to adults.
2. Help Them Unwind:
Toddlers need some time to unwind and transition into sleeping. Since they play around all day, they are always hyperactive.
You don’t want your child to be alert and active during bedtime. So, a few hours before their bedtime, you can swap the activities that require them to be alert for something that helps them relax. Also, switch off the television and any other devices that they may be using. Increased screen time is one of the main reasons why some kids start talking so late. Although speaking to a mobile speech pathologist will help, it is essential to minimise their screen time as well. Once you take away all types of screens, you will notice that your child is slowly relaxing. You can also include some activities that help your child unwind, such as taking a warm bath, reading a book, or singing bedtime songs.
3. Plenty of Physical Activities In the Day:
While helping your child unwind at night is essential, it is also crucial to ensure that they have plenty of physical activities in the day. Make them play outdoors, take them for walks, or dance with them. When they constantly move their body during the day, they will get tired by bedtime.
4. Turn Off the Bright Lights:
Bright lights make your kid alert and don’t facilitate proper sleep. This is why turning them off before your child’s bedtime is essential. Exposure to bright lights suppresses melatonin production in their bodies, disrupting their sleep. You can opt for a dim or warm light in your room to make your child sleepy.
Conclusion
A good night’s sleep is the foundation of a healthy baby. This is why it is important to create a bedtime routine that facilitates rest and allows ample sleep. With the tips mentioned above, you will be able to establish a bedtime routine for your child, helping them rest and prepare them for the next day.
