How to Prepone your Toddler’s Bedtime
Infants sleep irregular hours as they tend to wake up round the clock for a feed. As they go past year one, they tend to have a late night feed at 10pm or 11 pm and then sleep for a stretch of 5-6 hours without a feed. However, this trend continues into year two as well and they develop ‘late hours’, i.e., staying awake past an appropriate bed time. It becomes increasingly difficult for the parents to get time to themselves as they are sleeping and waking with their toddler.
It is, thus, necessary for the child to start sleeping earlier as not only will it help the child but the parents as well. The age-old proverb sums up the situation perfectly- ‘Early to be and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’. Parents have to make certain amendments to the child’s daily routine in order to get the child into bed earlier than usual.
Reduce Number of Naps
The number of naps that a child takes during the day should be reduced. Efforts should be made to steer a child towards a single afternoon nap so that he/she is ready for night sleep earlier than usual.
Reduce Duration of Afternoon Nap
The duration for which the child naps in the afternoon should also be reduced (if it is more than two hours). By age three, a child should be napping for an hour or so only, and not going into deep sleep for several hours.
Place for Afternoon Nap
A child should not nap in his/her cot or bed that he/she uses at night as this sends a message to the child that its ‘time for bed’, which means a long sleep. The child can nap on a day bed or a mattress on the floor.
Food and Bath before Sleep
The age old sequence of ‘food- bath- sleep’ should be followed for children as this order helps to relax their mind and body.
