We all know that as parents we don’t get enough sleep. All those adverts telling us how their products will help you sleep better are pretty obsolete when you have a small person who isn’t as keen on letting you sleep!
So here are my top tips to get some well needed sleep when you have a toddler.
- A Relaxing Bedtime Routine. I’m not a huge fan of routines and much prefer to be flexible, however we have noticed a great improvement in getting the boys to bed when they have a simple bedtime routine. After a consultation with the amazing Sarah Ockwell-Smith when Mr O was younger, we set up this routine. No screens after 5pm, playing as much as he wants until 7pm, then daddy plays games or reads stories with him for quiet time, 15 minutes, toilet and pyjamas, upstairs to brush teeth and then a final quiet bedtime story with dim light on before we turn it off and cuddle to sleep. After the rest of the routine he’s normally asleep after 5-10 mins of cuddles in bed. We used to include bath in the routine, but found it was very difficult to keep it calm and quiet, so took that part out! This helped Mr O to sleep through the night and let us get more sleep too.
- Massage. Younger toddlers may also enjoy a short massage, there are plenty of books and tutorials on the web that show you how to do this. This helps them relax and get a good nights sleep, giving you a much better sleep too.
- Co-sleeping. This has been the only way I have managed to get any sleep through baby and toddler years. As we breastfeed it makes more sense to bed share, although co-sleeping includes having a separate bed/cot in your bedroom too if you prefer not to bed share. This means that little ones know they are not alone and you can get to them quickly to help settle them when they wake, thus giving you more time asleep.
- Try and Switch Off. When you go to bed try not to think of everything you need to do or remember. Instead write a few to-do or remember lists to get your thoughts out your head and on paper. This will help you switch off and get to sleep quickly.
- Don’t Use Screens Before Bed. Just the same as the kids, screen time before bed makes it hard to relax and switch off, so try and switch everything off and read or chat before bed instead. This is one that I need to practice on, I tend to be on the computer blogging until bed!
So there you go, my top tips for getting more sleep with a toddler.
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Sarah - Craft Invaders says
I’m the same with blogging late into the night, so I always go to bed with my brain swimming with ideas! Our first child used to end up in our bed every night, so when we had our daughter, once she was no longer breast-feeding, we put her in the same room as her brother, and they had the other room as their playroom – this worked really well for them (and us), and although they have their own rooms now they often sleep in each others room.
crummy mummy says
This is very similar to my #howtosunday offering this week! Great comp toox
Little Miss & Mimmy says
We have had the same bedtime routine since birth. Bath, bottle and bed. Although it’s now bath, supper and bed.
3 years down the line and I’ve forgotten what sleep is!
gillian burden says
jut what need after blogging lol
Kelly Robinson says
My 3.5 year old didn’t sleep through until my 11 month old was born! Couldn’t believe it, he finally sleeps through and we have a newborn waking every hour!
Were told by so many people to bath him before bed but it makes him so excitable we stopped it.
The bedtime routine works so well, its similar to yours except we have half hour of him refusing to brush his teeth!
#HowToSunday
Jenny Eaves says
I never understand how the bath before bed works either, too much splashing and excitement, especially when both are in at the same time! O was 3 when he slept through too (literally the eve of his 3rd birthday), then at 4 he regressed and has woken occasionally, sometimes with nose bleeds, so not sure what to do about that! x
Jenny Eaves says
Lol, yes, O didn’t sleep through until well after A arrived, so it’s a long way from a proper night’s sleep, but still better than when newborns! 🙂 x
Jenny Eaves says
Thank you, looking forward to reading yours later. 🙂 x
Jenny Eaves says
Lol, it’s so hard to switch off isn’t it! When A stops BF he’ll go in with his brother too and they can keep each other company, I think it helps them have a close bond too. 🙂 x
Sarah says
I used to find that bath, story bed worked for the girls but not for Fin. He would only ever fall asleep on me, so we co-slept a lot, as it was the only way anybody got any rest. Sarah #HowtoSunday
liz ferguson says
keeping to the same routine helps x
Lora says
Thanks for the tips.. Healthy sleep habits can make a big difference in quality of life.