Solving sleep problems in toddlers
Solve your child's
nighttime problems so you can all rest in your own bed.
Your 1 year old cries
so much when you put him down that he vomits. Your 2-year-old still doesn't
sleep through the night. Your 2.5 year old shares a bed with you, or maybe your
3 year old wakes up in the middle of the night screaming murder.
Sounds familiar? If
these sleep problems in toddlers don't ring true yet, they may soon. While most
sleep problems in toddlers are related to age and developmental stage,
sometimes underlying health or psychological problems are at least partially to
blame. No matter what nighttime troubles disrupt everyone's sleep, there are
solutions for healthy sleep.
Waking up all night (again and again)
Getting your baby to
sleep through the night is a common and difficult sleep problem for toddlers.
Finding a solution to this problem depends on your child's age, and when your
child stays up all night, it suddenly happened out of the blue.
Babies may wake up
after teething or get sick. Parents should take a step back and look at what
has happened in the last few weeks in their little ones lives. Got a new bed?
New brother? Changing teachers? Does the child sleep longer?
If waking up is just
a habit and has nothing to do with teething or any other health issues or
changes, intervene by postponing bedtime. A delay of 15 to 20 minutes can make
your little one even more tired, she says.
If your baby calls
you during these episodes in the middle of the night, go into the room to
comfort him with a lullaby, soft music, or whatever soothing routine you use at
night. Reassure them that they are fine and then leave their room.
If this scenario is
repeated night after night after night, you should delay entering the room for
five minutes each night to calm the baby.
Crying at bedtime to the point of being sick
Should you let your
baby cry? Often referred to as fermentation, this method may seem cruel to some
parents, especially if the baby is crying on its own. Other parents swear by
it.
This is very
difficult to do, but we are not aware of any negative effects of using the
Ferber method. Often one parent can handle whining and the other just can't. If
you let your baby cry, one of you might want to go to the gym or put an iPod on
and the other one will take care of the crying. If you choose this approach,
you should be prepared to stick with it for four to five nights.
Ferberizing is really
about changing your babies' sleep associations, which should solve this toddler
sleep problem. If a mother rocks her baby to sleep, this is the baby's sleep
association. If the goal is to get your baby to fall asleep on his own, you
need to change the association to one he can make on his own - the Ferber
Method is one way to do this.
If letting your baby
cry until he vomits sounds too barbaric, come into the room after your baby has
been crying for a while, pat him on the back and say "Mommy is going to
bed too" and then leave. You may need to do this several times a night until
your baby is comfortable. If this crying method doesn't work for you or your
partner (or baby), talk to your pediatrician about alternative methods.
The bedtime routines that never ends
The goal is to make
bedtime a positive experience. In families with two parents, bedtime can become
hectic. Either one parent says, “I put her to bed last night, now it’s your
turn,” or one parent is better than the other at putting the child to bed, and
this shows resentment. It has more to do with family dynamics than with the child.
. But children feel their parents' stress and anxiety before bed, which
stresses them out and prolongs their sleep time.
Experts recommend the
following solution. Both parents should enter the room, dim the lights and talk
to each other for 20 minutes, because there is nothing more annoying, but more
reassuring and safe, than the presence of both parents. Instead of saying,
"Let's put this baby to bed," stay close, talk, relax, and think
about how lucky you are to have such a good baby.
Prefer your bed to his own
Some parents may
enjoy sleeping with their children, but in other families this can be a problem
for toddlers. Living in the same room or in the same bed may be primarily a
cultural or economic issue. You can only put your baby in a crib if you can
afford it, and your baby can only have a separate room if you can afford it.
It's really a cultural thing when kids sleep in separate bedrooms or in
separate beds.
But if both parents
agree that sharing a bed is a nuisance for toddlers, try telling them that mom
and dad are happiest when they sleep alone, because kids naturally want to
please their parents. Or say, "There's no bed for three, only beds for
two."
Children may be
afraid to be alone, so you need to let them know that they are safe wherever
they sleep.
Breaking this habit
can be difficult. It usually starts innocently enough. The child may have an
earache, he may sleep in his parents bed and get used to it. If they are used
to your room, you should change that and spend more time in their room. Stay in
their room on the chair, dim the lights, and act like you too are falling
asleep or relaxing before bed or during your nap so they know you're there.
Be positive. Let's
say mom needs time, but she will come into your room for a while. While you're
at it, put on soothing music and have some fun in their room so they know their
room isn't to be punished or abandoned. When they fall asleep, you can either
say goodbye to them or sneak out.
Consistency matters
too. You can't take them into your bed one night and keep them out the next
night.
Nightmares
The first thing you
can do is look for any physical problems that may be interfering with his
sleep. Snoring, acid reflux, heartburn, or even allergies can wake your child
up at night, not nightmares. If it seems that there is nothing physical that
makes them wake up and fuss. then it's time to talk about nightmares. Tell them
that they are always safe and that nightmares and dreams are like paintings and
drawings, which means that they can paint a beautiful picture or a scary
picture.
Recurring dreams can
also help children get rid of nightmares. Here's how it works: Discuss what
happened in the nightmare and come up with a new ending. If your toddler
dreamed that he was falling off a cliff, tell him to imagine that he could fly.
Or, if a monster was involved in the nightmare, perhaps the monster could have
been made from marshmallows.
Night terror
Night terrors or
night terrors are not nightmares. These two toddler sleep disorders differ in
some important ways. Night terrors occur in the first third of sleep, and
nightmares tend to occur in the last third of sleep. Night terrors or night
terrors are characterized by bloodcurdling screaming, crying, rapid heart rate,
and no memory of the next day. On the other hand, a nightmare is a dream, and
your child is sure that it was only a dream when he wakes up.
The first thing to do
with night terrors is to avoid snoring, as snoring destabilizes sleep, which
can make night terrors or even sleepwalking more likely. Destabilized sleep is
not deep sleep. These sleep disorders in babies usually occur during light
sleep. Once snoring is ruled out, try waking your child up 15 minutes after
they fall asleep. They will respond to this programmed awakening by falling
asleep more deeply. Stick to the 15-minute rule, because waking up a child
after a long time can cause night terrors.
Toddler snoring
This sleep problem in
toddlers may be related to sleep apnea, a potentially dangerous condition in
which your child constantly stops breathing while sleeping. Take your child to
a pediatrician who may recommend that your child be seen by an ear, nose and
throat specialist.
Thrashing and banging with outbursts of sudden crying
Safety is the first
thing you should pay attention to in such situations. Make sure the crib or bed
is as secure as possible so that children cannot get hurt. If this continues to
the point that the child is restless, see a sleep specialist for a sleep study.
There are many potential causes of this sleep disorder in toddlers. It could be
a psychological problem, it could be something they're about to overcome, or
maybe they're having sleep cramps. Medication may be needed depending on the
cause and severity.
Trying to climb out of the crib
Maybe it's time for toddler
bed. If your child really tries to climb, he may get hurt, so you have no
choice. This switching can be done in several ways. Some parents make a fuss
and buy a big bed, and some parents just buy a bed, put it in the child's room
and ask the child if he wants to sleep in the bed or in the crib.
If your baby doesn't want to stay in his crib, install a safety net next to the door that's too high to climb in so he can't get under it and grab his neck. On average, children move to a toddler bed at the age of 2 years or when they are 90 cm tall.